Key Lime Pie

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 ounces broken graham crackers (1 1/2 cups ground)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
• 4 egg whites (use 5 if you want high meringue)
• 1 pinch cream of tartar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 lime, sliced paper thin and dipped in sugar (optional)

Recipe

• 1 pie crust:.
• 2 preheat heat oven to 350â°f.
• 3 gently melt the butter.
• 4 combine sugar with graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs.
• 5 slowly add butter until well blended.
• 6 press crumbs into a 9 inch pie pan.
• 7 bake the crust for 8 - 10 minutes, just until it begins to brown.
• 8 cool on a rack before filling.
• 9 the crust will harden as it cools.
• 10 when the crust is done, leave the oven at 350 f and cool the crust slightly on a rack.
• 11 filling:.
• 12 beat the egg yolks just until combined. beat in the condensed milk, then the lime juice a little at a time.
• 13 the mixture will thicken.
• 14 place the filling into the warm crust and bake until the filling is just firm. 10 - 15 minutes.
• 15 remove and cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. leave oven on.
• 16 nows time to decide on the topping:.
• 17 for meringue topping:.
• 18 beat the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar, until foamy.
• 19 add confectioners sugar a little bit at a time until the mixture is shiny and holds fairly stiff peaks. be careful not to overbeat.
• 20 cover pie with meringue, making sure the meringue covers the entire filling and makes contact with the crust edges.
• 21 the stiff meringue will hold its shape, so you can decorate it how you like.
• 22 to make lots of little peaks all over the pie, take a whisk and poke it lightly into the meringue and lift up.
• 23 bake until the meringue is lightly browned; 10 - 15 minutes.
• 24 cool on a rack and then refrigerate.
• 25 serve cool.
• 26 note: this pie is best eaten the same day. if it sits too long, the sugar will start sweating out of the meringue and form beads on the top.
• 27 or.
• 28 whipped topping:.
• 29 pour lime filling into crust; bake until center is set, yet wiggly when jiggled, 15 to 17 minutes. return pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature. refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (can be covered with lightly oiled or oil-sprayed plastic wrap laid directly on filling and refrigerated up to 1 day.).
• 30 for the whipped cream: up to 2 hours before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks. adding confectioners� sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, continue whipping to just-stiff peaks. decoratively pipe whipped cream over filling or spread evenly with rubber spatula. garnish with optional sugared lime slices and serve.