Our Favorite Key Lime Pie Food

KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• For the graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Break up the graham crackers; place in a food processor and process to crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, place the crackers in a large plastic bag; seal and then crush the crackers with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse or stir until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and side of a pie pan, forming a neat border around the edge. Bake the crust until set and golden, 8 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack; leave the oven on.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, in an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, 3 or 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice, mixing just until combined, no longer. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Freeze for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
• For the topping: Whip the cream and the confectioners' sugar until nearly stiff. Cut the pie into wedges and serve very cold, topping each wedge with a large dollop of whipped cream.

OUR FAVORITE KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust:
• Place rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Pulse graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form. With the motor running, drizzle in melted butter and process until well-combined. Transfer mixture to pie pan and press into bottom and up sides with a flat-bottomed measuring cup.
• Bake crust until golden brown and set, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• Make the filling and bake pie:
• Whisk condensed milk and yolks together in a large bowl. Add key lime and lemon juice and whisk until well-combined (mixture will thicken slightly).
• Pour filling into crust and bake until center is just set, about 15 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool completely (filling will set as it cools), about 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Make the topping:
• When ready to serve, whip cream with a whisk or electric mixer to very soft peaks. Sprinkle sugar over cream and continue whipping until it holds stiff peaks. Dollop cream in center of pie (leaving at least a 1" border of visible pie filling) and serve.
• Do Ahead
• Pie (without topping) can be made, loosely covered, and chilled for up to 2 days.

CLASSIC KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form crust. Bake 10 minutes or until crust begins to brown. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack.
• Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and sour cream in large bowl until blended. Stir in lime peel. Pour filling into crust. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until tiny bubbles begin to form on surface of pie. Cool completely on wire rack.
• Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until stiff. Top pie with whipped cream. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Best served the same day.

TRADITIONAL KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks.
• Stir in sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice and rind.
• In a small bowl, stiffly beat 1 egg white.
• Fold into pie mixture.
• Turn into baked pie shell.
• Beat the three reserved egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy.
• Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• Spread meringue on top of pie, sealing carefully to the edge of the pie shell.
• Bake 15 minutes at 350° or until meringue is golden brown.
• Cool in refrigerator at least 6 hours.

PERFECT KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until browned, about 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack to room temperature before filling. To speed this process, I sometimes refrigerate the crust for 10 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Beat softened cream cheese in mixing bowl until creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat to incorporate. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add lime juice and beat till combined.
• Pour mixture into cooled pie crust and spread with spatula until evenly distributed. Place on cookie sheet and then into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the filling begins to set.
• Remove from oven and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled.

AUTHENTIC KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk condensed milk and egg yolks together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in Key lime juice; mixture will be thin at first but will thicken as it is whisked. Whisk until smooth and thick. Pour into the graham cracker crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is firm to the touch and only slightly jiggly in the center, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate before serving, 5 hours to overnight.