Florida Key Lime Pie Recipes

KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 °F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
• In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter; stir with a fork first, and then your hands until the mixture is well combined. Using your fingers and the bottom of a glass or dry measuring cup, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 1.5-inch (deep-dish) pie pan. The crust should be about ¼-inch thick. (Tip: do the sides first.)
• Bake for 10 minutes, until just slightly browned. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour the thick mixture into the warm graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, until the filling is almost set; it should wobble a bit. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 3 hours.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until medium peaks form. Top the pie with the whipped cream. Decorate with the lime zest and lime slices. Store the pie in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Slice the pie into wedges, wiping your knife clean between slices, and serve cold.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make the crust a day ahead of time, but the filling should be added on the day of serving, otherwise the crust will get soggy.
• Note: The nutritional information was calculated using 2% Greek yogurt.

REAL FLORIDA KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the graham crackers in a large zip-top bag and crush to fine crumbs with a rolling pin.
• Transfer to a small mixing bowl, add the sugar, and pour in the butter. Combine with a fork and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
• Use your fingers to press the crumbs evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
• Bake until golden, about 7 minutes, remove and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Set the crust aside to cool for 10 to 12 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice until smooth and starting to thicken.
• Pour the mixture into the partially cooled crust and bake until the custard is set but still a little jiggly, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 90 minutes before serving.
• Serve topped with a little freshly whipped cream if desired.

AUTHENTIC FLORIDA KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Break up the graham crackers; place in a food processor and process the crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, place the crackers in a large plastic bag; seal and crush the crackers with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse or stir until combined.
• Press the mixture into the bottom and side of a pie pan, forming a neat border around the edge. Lightly form a border up the sides. Bake the crust at 350 degrees until set and golden for 8 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack, let cool. Leave the oven on.
• For the filling, using a rasp or grater, grate 2 teaspoons of the lime skin. Then, using a hand press, squeeze 2/3 cups of key lime juice by cutting each lime in half and placing it in press (they are usually too small for a juicer).
• Next, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Set aside the egg whites for the meringue if you want to use them later. Have your sweetened condensed milk opened, your juice finished and your zest ready for the next step.
• In an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat the 4 egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of lime zest at high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the can of condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, 3 or 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the 2/3 cup of lime juice, mixing just until combined, no longer. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack.
• For the topping, with a mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until forming stiff peaks.
• Spread over filling and seal to edge of crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Note: Watch the oven and don't take your eyes off the meringue, it could brown quickly. Place in the refrigerator and let it chill for 2-3 hours.

FLORIDA KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• To Make Lime Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk, lime juice, lime rind, and salt. Whip until mixture is smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly.
• To Make Topping: In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add vanilla or lemon extract and confectioners' sugar. Continue to whip until cream forms stiff peaks. Place topping in a fine-mesh sieve and place sieve over a bowl to catch liquid that drains off. Cover topping tightly with plastic wrap and allow to drain for 2 hours.
• Before serving, discard liquid that has drained from topping. Spread topping over pie.

KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks on high speed until thick and light in color. Add the condensed milk and mix on low speed. Still on low speed, add half the lime juice, cream of tartar and then the remaining lime juice, mixing after each addition. Mix well until blended.
• Pour into pie crust and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the center is firm and dry to the touch. Freeze for at least 3 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

FLORIDA LIME PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Toss in the butter cubes serially, to keep them separate while coating them evenly in flour. Using a fork, cut the butter into the flour, continuing to toss them as you do, until they're roughly the size of peas.
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over the flour-and-butter mixture. Using your fork, toss to incorporate, then continue to add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to come together as you stir it. Using your hands, fold the dough over itself a few times, adding just enough water so that it holds together.
• Form the dough into a disk about 1-inch thick, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to a couple of days.
• When you're ready to make the pie, first prepare the pie shell: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches in diameter, then fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp edges, then, using the tines of a fork, pierce the bottom crust 8 to 12 times. Line dough with a sheet of parchment paper, and spread evenly with pie weights. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are set. You want it slightly underdone. Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment, and let cool completely on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Make the filling: In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat the egg yolks until they are thick, then gradually beat in the condensed milk, then the lime juice. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime zest.
• In a medium bowl, use a whisk to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold them gently into the condensed-milk mixture. Pour into the cooled pie shell.
• Place the pie back on the sheet pan and bake until the filling is just set in the center, about 20 minutes. It need not be completely firm because the filling thickens as it cools.
• Cool the pie on a rack, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream and about 1 teaspoon grated lime zest.

AUTHENTIC KEY LIME PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk condensed milk and egg yolks together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in Key lime juice; mixture will be thin at first but will thicken as it is whisked. Whisk until smooth and thick. Pour into the graham cracker crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is firm to the touch and only slightly jiggly in the center, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate before serving, 5 hours to overnight.

FLORIDA PIE

Steps:

• Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
• Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.
• Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the egg yolks on high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the remaining juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.
• Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.
• To finish the pie with meringue: Preheat the broiler. Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining ½ cup coconut into the meringue. Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.