Key lime pie is an American dessert made of Key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust. The traditional Conch version uses the egg whites to make a meringue topping. The dish is named after the small Key limes (Citrus aurantifolia ‘Swingle’) that are naturalized throughout the Florida Keys. While their thorns make them less tractable, and their thin, yellow rinds more perishable, Key limes are more tart and more aromatic than the common Persian limes seen year-round at grocery stores in the United States.

Ingredients

For crust

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from 9 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

For filling

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons key lime zest
• ¾ cup key lime juice

For topping

• 3/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Preparation

Make crust:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (4-cup) glass pie plate.
3. Sprinkle salt over the top of the crust.
4. Bake the crust in the middle of oven 10 minutes then cool in the pie plate on a rack.
5. Make sure you leave oven on.

Make filling and bake pie:

1. Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl. Add lime juice and whisk until mixture will thickens slightly.
2. Pour this filling into the crust and bake in the middle of oven for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and cool the pie completely on rack. Filling will set as the pie cools
4. Then cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

Make topping:

1. 30 minutes before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks.

Serve pie topped with cream and enjoy!