On our
recent trip to Key West we made a point to try a lot of key lime pies. That's actually my goal every time I set foot in the southern half of Florida. My BFF since 6th grade, Joanna, also shares my sentiment for key lime pie. We used to go to Stuart, Florida for spring break to her great-aunt Erna's place (Erna had passed away... Joanna's mom had access to the joint, so we would spend a week in a community where we were mere spring chicks amongst the rest of the crowd). We had a great time hanging at the pool with the old men, then heading to the beach, where there were generally a few people under 60, going to fun restaurants, and saying the occasional ultra-embarrassing remark. For instance once I told Joannie's mom, "Good riddance!" as she dropped us off at the beach. I thought it meant something like have a good trip home. Once I was corrected, I said "Bad riddence." And Joannie exclaimed, "I wet myself!" as we sat in the back of the car one day. "Oh no, Joanna, you didn't," her mom said. Indeed, Joannie had wet herself, but only by spilling her water. A short story longer, we had a thing for key lime pie. We loooved it. So, Joannie sent me
this recipe. It's from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, and was featured on Oprah.
It happens to be a very basic key lime pie recipe. Most chef's will tell you their recipe - it's usually 3 or 4 egg yolks, one can of sweetened condensed milk, and 1/2 -2/3 cup of lime juice. This recipe is actually the exact same as the one the Blonde Giraffe uses in Key West. BUT, here they tell you to beat the eggs until fluffy, then beat in the sweetened condensed milk. You don't get those directions usually, and I think it's the key!
I altered the original recipe because it was ridiculously fattening due to two sticks of butter in the crust, but here is my version. Y-U-M!
Graham Cracker Crust: - 1 package graham crackers
- 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1/8 tsp. sea salt
Filling: - 4 egg yolks
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 2/3 cup Key lime juice*
- 1 lime , grated zest
* I use
Nellie and Joe's key lime juice and it's as good as the real thing, but don't use regular Mexican limes, and please for the love of all things good and lovely, don't ever ever use the "real" lime juice that comes in the little plastic lime. Ever.
To make crust: Preheat the oven to 325°.
Place graham crackers in a food processor and process to crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt and pulse until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, forming an even layer on the bottom, sides and edge. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool while you make filling.
To make filling: In an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, or 5 to 6 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until incorporated. (I think all this mixing makes for a smoother pie).
Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 mins, then refrigerate for at least a few hours .
Applaud yourself for making a pie that costs $24 in Key West and probably $7 per slice at Trump's place. Don't forget to top with sweetened whipped cream before serving.
