Key Lime Pie

I love key lime pie. I see it and think, "Summer!" And I'm apparently in a bit of a citrus kick, as I recently made Lemon Meringue Pie, too.

This whole citrus experience, though, started out as I decided to make some summer baked goods for a pool party. I knew key lime pie would be refreshing, so I picked up some key lime juice (it took me a little longer to find actual key limes; I feel like they used to be more readily available nearby!). But, I ran into a little problem when I started baking: the can of sweetened condensed milk I had was too old. Curses!

But I don't give up easy. I had heavy cream and the internet, so I got a googlin' and found an alternative. It was similar, but used cream instead. All seemed great until....I pulled that pie out of the oven and it just didn't look right. It was not the lovely, bright yellow I was used to, but rather a foggy look. I should note that upon later taste testing, it was not terrible - more tart than I'd known and rather unattractive, but not terrible tasting.

I had to correct this. My very kind partner ran out and overpaid for cans of sweetened condensed milk from the closest store; I'd promised key lime pie and I was going to deliver! Then, I got into action. Before we get into details, let's talk history.

Appropriately named, key lime pie has it's origins in the Florida Keys. This doesn't hurt the summer association. Key limes themselves supposedly came to South Florida by way of Christopher Columbus, who brought the fruit from Haiti and the Bahamas. Sweetened condensed milk came into play in the mid-1800s, and worked well in areas without many cows. Now, the pie recipe itself is first found published in 1949, but some speculate that the pie concept came from New York, but was made with key limes in South Florida. Of course, that's how recipes work; ideas come from other ideas, and heck, this is a whole blog where I cook things and fiddle with them (though I always provide credit).

On to the baking. Key lime pie is easy. Like, super easy. Not only is making a cookie crust easy, but stirring a few ingredients together in a bowl? Pfft. Any day.

I used vanilla wafers in this rendition (though I was using Biscoff cookies in the initial pie, I'd run out; those are next level). I added crushed cookies and melted butter into the pie dish, then formed it into a crust. Making the filling was a breeze, too. I mixed 

After baking, I topped it the cooled pie off with some fresh whipped cream because whipped cream is good on just about everything and looks pretty.

It was fresh, it was cool, it was flavorful. Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's key lime pie.

I was happy and proud to serve this out in the sun, and even happier that it was not as ugly as it's friend (who I left home).

Slightly tangy but also sweet: this pie was perfect for the heat. If you were to get a premade crust, prep would take less than 5 minutes. This is a no brainer!

Key Lime Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

9” cookie pie crust (graham, vanilla wafer, or similar)

3 egg yolks (you can save the whites for your next breakfast or make meringues!)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)

1/2 cup key lime juice 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 teaspoons key lime zest (optional)

Whipped cream for topping

Instructions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. If making your own crust, pre bake for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, condensed milk, key lime juice, vanilla, and lime zest. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until pie is set. Let cool, then refrigerate. Top with whipped cream as desired.