Key Lime Pie

When I made this for Alan, he asked if it was a quiche. Silly boy, who puts whipped cream on quiche, although now that I think about it…

So my pie didn’t turn out a brilliant lime green like the ones in the store, but it tasted delicious. My sister, Kirsten, was co-cook for this one.

Lime Filling
4 tsp grated lime zest
1/2 c freshly squeezed lime juice (3-4 limes)
4 egg yolks
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Graham Cracker Crust
9 graham crackers, broken
2 Tbs granulated sugar
5 Tbs unsalted butter, melted & still warm

Whipped Cream Topping
3/4 c chilled heavy cream
1/4 c confectioners’ sugar
1/2 lime, sliced paper thin & dipped in sugar

Directions:
1. For the filling: Whisk the zest and yolks in medium bowl until green, about 2 minutes. Beat in the condensed milk, then the juice; set aside to thicken at room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. For the crust: Preheat Oven to 325 degrees with oven rack in middle position. In a food processor, process the graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding the warm melted butter in a steady stream; pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch glass pie plate and evenly press the crumbs into the pie plate. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 15-18 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
3. Pour the lime filling into the crust; bake until the center is set yet wiggly when jiggled, 15-17 minutes. Return the pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours.
4. For the topping: less than 2hrs before serving, whip the cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer to very soft peaks. Adding the confectioners’ sugar 1 Tbs at a time, continue whipping to just-stiff peaks. Decoratively pipe the whipped cream over the filling. Garnish with sugared limes.