Key Lime Pie



Picture is from Cooks Illustrated. I was so busy getting everything packed up to take to our neighbors
I forgot to take a picture.

 When our neighbors brought home their new baby this week I decided that I would make them a meal. I knew the new dad loved Key Lime Pie (so do I) so I thought I'd make him one.  I've tried lots of recipes but this recipe is by far my favorite because it includes lime zest. The recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated magazine which is the print version of my favorite cooking show America's Test Kitchen.   I used a pre-made graham cracker crust but you can always make it from scratch.

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons grated key lime zest
• 1/2 cup lime juice from 3 to 4 key limes
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 graham cracker crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk zest and yolks in medium bowl until tinted light green, about 2 minutes. Beat in milk, then juice; set aside at room temperature to thicken.
3. Pour lime filling into crust; bake until center is set, yet wiggly when jiggled, 15 to 17 minutes. Return pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (Can be covered with lightly oiled or oil-sprayed plastic wrap laid directly on filling and refrigerated up to 1 day.)

The thing I like about Cooks Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen is they test out a recipe and tell you what works and what doesn't work. According to them, bottled reconstituted lime juice gives the pie an “off” flavor. Always use fresh lime juice. If you can't find key limes use what you can find. It won't truly be a Key Lime Pie without key limes but the pie will taste better with fresh lime juice and not bottled juice. A true Key Lime Pie should never be green.