Key Lime Pie
Florida's state pie: a graham-cracker crust holding a tart lime-and-condensed-milk filling, set by acid, topped with whipped cream.
Overview
Graham crackers (or digestive biscuits) crush fine, mix with melted butter and sugar, press into a 23 cm pie tin. Bakes for 10 minutes till set. Filling: 4 egg yolks whisk with sweetened condensed milk for 3 minutes till pale and thick. Lime juice (lots, about 150 ml) and zest whisk in. The lime acid begins setting the filling immediately. Pour into the crust; bake for 15 minutes till the filling has just-set with a tiny wobble. Chills for 4 hours. Whipped cream tops at service.
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 g graham crackers (or digestive biscuits)
- 80 g unsalted butter (melted)
- 50 g caster sugar
- A pinch of salt
Filling
- 4 egg yolks (large)
- 1 tin (400 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 150 ml lime juice (about 8 Persian limes or 18 Key limes)
- 4 limes (zest)
Topping
- 300 ml double cream (chilled)
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Extra lime zest for garnish
Method
Stage 1 - Crust
- Heat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan).
- Crush the graham crackers in a food processor (or in a bag with a rolling pin) to fine crumbs.
- Mix with the melted butter, sugar and salt until uniformly damp.
- Press evenly into a 23 cm pie tin, covering the bottom and 4 cm up the sides.
- Bake 10 minutes till lightly toasted and set.
- Cool while you make the filling.
Stage 2 - Filling
- In a wide bowl, whisk the egg yolks with an electric whisk for 2-3 minutes until pale and thick.
- Add the condensed milk; whisk 3 more minutes (the mixture should ribbon-trail when the whisk is lifted).
- Whisk in the lime zest.
- Pour in the lime juice; whisk gently 30 seconds.
- The mixture should thicken slightly even before baking - this is the lime acid setting the milk proteins.
Stage 3 - Bake
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust.
- Bake 15 minutes at 175°C until the filling has just-set with a slight wobble at the very centre (the size of a 50p coin).
- The surface should look matte, not glossy.
Stage 4 - Chill
- Cool to room temperature on a rack (1 hour).
- Chill at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
Stage 5 - Whipped cream
- In a chilled bowl, whip the cream with icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Dollop or pipe the whipped cream across the top.
- Sprinkle extra lime zest.
- Cut with a hot knife (dipped in hot water, wiped dry) for clean slices.
- Serve cold.
Notes
- Real lime juice, not bottled: bottled lime juice has off-flavours from preservatives. Fresh juice is the entire dish.
- Persian or Key limes - both work: the original is Key lime (smaller, more aromatic, more tart) but Persian (supermarket) limes are perfectly fine. Don't substitute lemons - wrong flavour.
- Pale yellow, NOT green: authentic key lime pie has zero food colouring. The natural colour is from egg yolks. Green pies are bakery shortcuts.
- Wobble at 15 minutes: over-baked filling cracks and weeps. Pull when the centre still moves slightly.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated.
- The crust softens slightly on day 2-3 (still good).
- Freezes 1 month without the whipped cream; thaw overnight in the fridge; top with fresh cream at service.
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