Key Lime Pie Perfection

The perfect key lime pie is a study in flavor contrast. The completed pie takes the flavors and blends them into a lovely smooth texture; the color of an early morning before the sun breaks through the sky.

My preference is a homemade graham cracker crust. The sweetness plays well against the tartness of the pie. Fresh key limes are small, tart, and pale yellow with a hint of green. If they are unavailable, Nellie and Joe’s bottled key lime juice for pies is a good substitute. A Persian lime is never acceptable and green food coloring is just a sin, don’t even think about it.

For the crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
¼ cup sugar
6 Tbsp. Unsalted melted butter
Combine these ingredients and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and then let it cool.

For the pie:
4 extra large egg yokes at room temperature
½ cup key lime juice
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Beat the egg yolks until they are light in color then alternately add the key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. When the mixture is pale yellow and creamy pour into the cooled graham cracker crust. The lime juice will cook the egg yolks and the pie will thicken. Some people prefer to put the pie in the oven at 325 for about 10 minutes. I do not. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least two hours before taking that first slice. Have a margarita while you wait and the two hours will pass quickly.

The perfect topping for your key lime pieSome people would say meringue made with those egg whites. I say make an omelet with them instead. I love the pure delicious topping of freshly whipped cream. The tartness of the pie and the delicate sweetness of whipped cream combined with the lovely texture of the graham cracker crust, now that is magic on a pie plate.

Whipping the Cream:
1/2 pint (1 cup) cold heavy cream
¼ tsp. Vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
If you are in a tropical climate chill the mixing bowl before whipping the cream. Once soft peaks begin to form add the vanilla and sugar and beat until firm. Don’t go crazy, you want whipped cream not butter.

I prefer to slice the pie and add the whipped cream to each slice. You could garnish it with a little zest or a thin slice of key lime, but that is too Martha for me.

When I take my first fork full I want the pie chilled but never frozen, I want the whipped cream piled high and some of that graham cracker crust to balance out the flavors.

For me eating Key Lime Pie will always be like eating sunshine!