Irene’s Key Lime Pie – Foody Traveller tested recipe
Three egg yolks
Half a cup of Key Lime juice or five fruit *
Grated zest from one lime
14oz tin condensed milk
Beat the ingredients together
Make a crust made by combining
1 1/4 cups Graham Cracker crumbs **
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted and cooled butter.
Spread over the base of a 9″ pie tin and pour filling on top
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
* If you wish to use fresh juice and can only find Persian limes substitute lemon juice for half the amount of juice.
** English cooks could try using a crust made from digestive biscuits and melted butter.
Irene comments:
I made the pie for American friends on several occasions during my stay. We all agreed that with the shortcrust base it seemed a little heavy but with Graham-crackers it was heavenly. To my delight the friends came back for two and three helpings.
I was told that every restaurant in Key West serves the pie, but where I was staying near Sarasota only 35% of the menus listed it. Tellingly those restaurants all specialised in seafood. And that is part of the secret of its success – Key Lime pie is a perfect complement to the richness of crab, lobster and shrimp. One American friend when asked to describe it commented – ‘tart, sweet, smooth, creamy and light’. And indeed it is.