Key (Lime) Party

After my red chile powder consumption in New Mexico (no, not by the tablespoon like stupid kids force feeding themselves cinnamon - but it does kind of sound like a new, old disease...) all I really want is a nice cold margarita. Or key lime pie. Totes, right? For some reason I had been thinking about making a key lime pie for WEEKS. I finally gave in and went out to buy the necessary ingredients. Where did all of the key limes go?!? There are usually a ton o' bags hanging around the produce section of Whole Foods, but unless my eyes were failing me, they didn't have any. Jerks. Fortunately for me Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice was in stock. It's just as well because squeezing enough juice out of a bunch of tiny key limes can get old real fast. Key limes (aka Mexican limes) the namesake of the Florida Keys, are the smaller, yellower, seedier cousin of the common Persian lime and make for a tangier pie filling, though I didn't conduct a proper experiment. I'm just making assumptions. But that gives me an idea...

Key Lime Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
5 tablespoons sugar
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed key-lime juice
1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled



1. Heat the oven to 375˚F. Combine the graham-cracker crumbs, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.

2. Lower the oven to 325˚F. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together the condensed milk, egg yolks, Key lime juice, and zest. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.

3. Return the pie to the oven, and bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Shortly before serving, combine the cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over cooled pie and garnish with zest. Serve immediately.