MEGAN LEARNS TO COOK: KEY LIME PIE
Our second year of marriage we hosted our first ever Thanksgiving. The food responsibilities were spread out, but I decided I would be the one to make the Key Lime Pie because the truth is: I needed to redeem myself. Many Thanksgivings prior, I had ruined the pie, and it never set for some reason. So I was determined to make it up. My anxiety around cooking and baking for others has dwindled the more I’ve been on this Megan Learns To Cook journey. And this Thanksgiving, I’m ready to make the best Key Lime Pie I’ve ever made. If you’ve never made a pie, it’s a good place to start because this Key Lime Pie recipe is pretty simple!
Here’s What You Will Need:
6 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp of sugar
4 egg yolks
14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup of lime juice (freshly squeezed)
9-inch pie dish
Baking sheet
Optional cute apron to complete your baking fit
Some Tips
To make graham cracker crumbs, use a food processor or add the crackers to a gallon zip bag and crush with a rolling pin.
To separate the eggs, you can either fish out the yolk with clean hands or use the shell to help by shifting it back and forth gently between halves, catching the yolk and letting the rest run through.
You can either use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust ingredients into the pie dish.
If you can’t find key limes, no worries! Regular limes will do.
Make The Crust
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. While the oven is pre-heating, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Combine the sugar and graham cracker crumbs in bowl, and then slowly add the melted butter, stirring until it’s well blended. Once blended, you are going to dump all the mixed up ingredients into a 9-inch pie dish and press into the bottom and side. Bake for 8-10 minutes (or once it starts to brown), and then remove and set aside. While the crust bakes you can start the filling!
Make the Filling
Beat the egg yolks until they are combined. Add the condensed milk and continue to mix it on medium. Then, once that’s combined, add your lime juice in a little at a time. The mixture should thicken. Place your pie dish on a baking sheet; then pour the filling into your pie crust which should still be warm. Bake at 350°F until the filling is firm (about 10-15 minutes). Remove and let it cool for at least 20 minutes, and then put it in your fridge to chill for an hour or more.
Let’s Top it Off
We did it. We made a pie! In the past I’ve gone for a meringue topping, but this time I opted for dollop of whipped cream, some lime slices, and a little zest for presentation. If you want to make your own homemade whipped cream its super easy. I love this recipe from Preppy Kitchen. All you need is:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
I tsp of vanilla extract
Mix it on high for a few minutes until the texture is nice and thick and fluffy!
what i learned
Overall, I was really happy with this pie!! It tastes amazing and was pretty easy to make. I think where I want to improve still is my presentation. I don’t use piping tools too often and would want to create more even dollops next time. I also want to make sure I get my crust pressed up against all sides because some spots were too low and the filling went over. In the future, I’d love to experiment with maybe less sugar in the crust since the graham cracker is already sweet and maybe try some GF/DF options! I think a coconut condensed milk could make a nice combo with the lime and I want all my friends to be able to enjoy this delicious, easy, key lime pie!
Happy Thanksgiving y'all! If you are like me and pumpkin pie isn’t your thing, give this one try and let me know what you think!