Super Fluffy Key Lime Pie

When I think about dessert in the summer, I’m usually craving something, cool, creamy, and sweet…with a tang. And when I say tang, I mean TAAAANG. None of that lightly sour flavor you get with a lemon meringue pie at chain restaurants. I’m talking about mouth puckering, corner of your cheek pinching sour! I’m talking about this Super Fluffy Key Lime Pie! The inspiration for this pie comes from a long overdue visit to Garbo’s Restaurant here in ATX. They serve nostalgic New England seafood dishes that remind me of family summer trips to Maine. From lobster rolls, to steamers and their AHMAZING Key Lime Pie. Their pie reignited my love for this tart flavor. I had forgotten how much I adore it until I tasted this pie. So when I got home, I knew I had to try to recreate that feeling… or at least create a feeling of my very own. And this pie hits the mark for me.

Key lime pies are generally very simple. Condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice come together into a smooth creamy concoction baked inside a basic graham cracker crust. All delicious. But how can I make this better?

I decided to add a bit of salt to my crust to give the pie more depth of flavor. I also decided that the filling could be lighter and not so weighed down by the condensed milk. And this filling is fluffy! It’s light, airy and makes you want to eat more than 1 or 2 slices! Who doesn’t want that in a summer dessert!

To make the crust, I crushed graham crackers, butter crackers (the same rhymes with blitz) in a food processor, then added in sugar, salt and melted salted butter until it looked like wet sand. Press this mixture into a 9 in pie pan and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

So instead of plainly mixing the ingredients together. I fitted my mixer with a whisk attachment and whipped together the condensed milk and egg yolks until light and frothy. This took about 5-7 minutes…. so patience is key! I then added the key lime juice and zest. Key limes are also key for that extra tart flavor. But regular limes would work fine…and take lest time to juice!

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and bake for another 15 minutes. As hard as it is, allow to cool for 20 minutes, then place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours to ensure that it has chilled. Top with whipped cream if desired and serve after a heavy butter laden seafood meal!

I love this pie so much and am honestly salivating at just he thought of tasting it again! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Super Fluffy Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 6 tbsp salted butter, melted

• 6 Graham Cracker squares

• 16 Butter Ritz Crackers

• 2 tbsp sugar

• Generous pinch of salt

For the Filling:

• 1 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1/2-cup Key Lime Juice (approximately 21 Key Limes!)

• Zest from 12 key limes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350F

2. Place crackers into a food processor and pulse until it turns into crumbs.

3. Add in sugar and salt and pulse to combine.

4. While running the processor on low, stream in the melted butter and mix until it looks like wet sand.

5. Press the mixture into a 9” pie pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the milk and egg yolks together for 5-7 minutes. Until frothy and a pale yellow.

7. Add in the lime juice and zest and beat until combined.

8. Pour the mixture into the pre baked pie crust and bake for another 15 minutes.

9. Allow to cool for 20 minutes then refrigerate before serving.