Key Lime Pie

Easy as pie! Key lime pie is so refreshing, perfect for spring/summer. It's also a great way to use up those stale graham crackers you have sitting around (and you know you do). It's one of my favorite desserts to make in the summer, and I've never heard any complaints when I announce that a key lime pie is in the works...

Crust:

• crumbs from 1 package graham crackers (not a whole box)
• about 3 T. butter, melted

Filling:

• 1/2 c. key lime juice (if you can't find it look in the mixer section of your grocery store near the seltzer and grenadine)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT fat free)
• 2 egg yolks
• zest of 1/2 of a large lime (or all of a key lime)
  

Topping:

• 1 c. fresh cream
• 2-3 t. sugar

Preheat oven to 325F.
Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into the sides and bottom of an 8" or 9" pie dish. If it crumbles instead of sticking to the sides, add more butter. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove to cool but leave the oven on.

Stir together filling ingredients (use some of the lime juice to rinse out the sweetened condensed milk can). Admire the cigar-smoking smiley face.


Pour into baked crust. Bake for 12 minutes, or until filling is set. Allow pie to cool fully to room temperature.

Whip cream until soft peaks form, adding the sugar after a few seconds of whipping. You want to taste the cream, not overwhelming sweetness, so use good cream and go easy on the sugar. :-)

Spread whipped cream over pie and garnish with curls of lime rind. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Pictures of the pie to follow, I haven't topped it yet.