Message from Maggie:  We were invited to two parties this weekend and I offered to bring dessert.  While in search of inspiration at the grocery I ran into key limes and decided it was a sign to make a pie.  I used the smitten kitchen’s recipe with a few alternations- and I doubled it making two pies.  One version was gluten free by using gluten free short bread cookies and the other made with traditional ground graham crackers.

Ingredients:

Crust
1 1/2 cups  finely ground graham cracker crumbs (from about 10 crackers) or 1 1/2 cups finely ground short bread cookies (about 28 small short bread cookies)
3 tablespoons  granulated sugar
2 pinches sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
3 large egg yolks
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 1 dozen tiny key limes or 4 regular limes)

To Finish
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 to 2 tablespoons powdered or granulated sugar, to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oven: To 350°F (176°C).
2. Make crust: Combine graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and stir until mixed. Add butter and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a standard 9-inch pie dish. I like to use the outer edge of a heavy measuring cup to press in neat, firm sides but nobody will be the wiser if you just use your fingertips. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set on cooling rack while you prepare filling. Leave oven on.
3. Make filling: Zest limes into the bottom of a medium bowl until you have 1 1/2 tablespoons. Beat zest and egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until thickened again, about 3 minutes more. Squeeze zested limes until you have 2/3 cups juice. Whisk into yolk mixture until combined. Pour into graham crust and bake pie for another 10 minutes, until set but not browned on top at all. Let pie cool completely before adding topping.  (Note: I put my pie crusts in the fridge to cool down.)
4. Make topping: In a medium bowl, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks are formed. Spread over top of chilled pie. Ideally, pie should be chilled at least another 2 to 3 hours with the cream on top so that it can fully set before you take a slice.

Allergens:

• This recipe contains dairy.
• This recipe contains eggs.
• This can be made gluten free by making a gluten free crust.
• This recipe is nut free.

Nutrition Information: 

Photographs: