Key Lime Pie

From RachelR:

My brother made this for me when we were on STAS.  It was great.  You can get all the ingredients locally, so that is a definite bonus!  And those little lime/lemon things are going to be everywhere soon.

 

This is a Paula Deen recipe.  I’m giving the recipe as is, and then below I’ll tell you a few things I usually do differently.

 

Ingredients:

 

Crust

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (or Hob Nob crumbs...I don’t recommend Marie Gold b/c they don’t stick together very well)

1/2 cup slivered almonds (or chopped almonds...I usually toast these for a few minutes, but they will also get a little toasted when you bake the crust)

 

Filling

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (this is one 400 g can of Milk Maid sweetened condensed milk)

1/2 cup Key lime juice

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (for meringue)

1/4 cup sugar (for meringue)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, combine ingredients and pat down into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the milk, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon zest; blend in the egg yolks. Pour the filling into the crust.
For the meringue, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and remaining teaspoon zest until the mixture is stiff. Spread the meringue over the filling; spread it to touch the edge of the crust all around. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown.


The key lime pie should be chilled before serving, and it is best after it sits for a day (or overnight).  A great summer dessert!