A key lime pie is a very traditional American dessert that has a sweet but it is zesty which is well balanced and the textures are just amazing, a dessert that is made in just 10 minutes. We start by making a crust for the pie; into a bowl add some crushed graham crackers (if you do not have graham crackers use any plain vanilla biscuit or use digestive biscuits). Also, add some melted butter and stir these two ingredients together well, for pie dishes use a cooked nonstick pie dish.
You don’t need to grease because it is nonstick, put in your graham cracker crumbs, and then use a hand and shape it all around the edges. The delicious butter in there will help it set nice and hard when it’s to the side, put it into the fridge while making the filling. To make the filling, add some room-temperature cream cheese (it should be room temperature because it whips up so much better). Add whipping cream which doesn’t contain eggs.
Mix to get a nice and thick. Next, add the condensed milk (if you cannot get the condensed milk you can make your own) to add the sugar and the sweetness to the pie and make it a little bit silky. Next, get some zest from limes using a greater. Cut the limes open and get the juice from them. To get the juice out, roll the limes on the counter. This is just to break down the inside a little bit and make it a little softer and easier to juice. Then cut it open and juice it using a juicer and strainer.
Pour the lime juice into our cream cheese mix then add a little bit of vanilla extract to bring all the flavors together. With an electric hand mixer or hand, mixer mix it until it becomes nice and thick and do it at high speed for about 3 to 4 minutes. Since this recipe does not contain eggs it means you can make it in 10 minutes when the pie shell is set to add the filling to the top, it doesn’t go to the oven.
Put the pie into the fridge preferably overnight but stay a minimum of around 8 minutes to set it up nicely. When the hours are done the pie is ready for decoration and put some simple rosettes of cream on top using disposable piping bags. Fill the bags with some whipped cream pipe some big cream rosettes on top lay on some slices of fresh lime and grate over some lime zest. This will give it a lovely pop of colour.
Ingredients;
For the graham cracker crust:
- 2 cups (6oz/170g) graham cracker crumbs (or any plain biscuit))
- 3/4 cup (6oz/170g) butter, melted
For the filling;
- 1 can (14oz/398g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup (2 1/2floz/71ml) whipping cream
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed
- zest of 3 limes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whipped cream for decorating
Instructions;
- Prepare the graham cracker crust by mixing the melted butter with the graham crumbs until you’ve reached the texture of wet sand.
- Transfer the crust mixture into your GoodCook Non-Stick 9 Inch Pie Pan and press down using your fingertips. Use a small bowl or cup to push the crumbs up the side of the tin. This will form an even crust. Once the graham mixture has been pressed into the tin place it in the fridge to set for roughly 30 minutes.
- While the crust is setting make the key lime filling: First juice 1/2 cup of fresh limes using the GoodCook Zester/Juicer.
- In a large bowl whip the cream cheese, condensed milk, whipping cream, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla. Whip for roughly 4-5 minutes until it firms up. Don’t worry if your mix is not firm as it will set up in the fridge overnight.
- Remove the pie crust from the fridge and fill it with the filling mixture. Return to the fridge and allow to sit for a minimum of 5 hours but preferably overnight. As there is no setting agent, it needs a long time in the fridge.
- Once set, fit a GoodCook piping bag with a nozzle then fill with whipped cream. For this, I suggest using the Sweet Creations Cupcake
- Decorating Kit (12 Pieces). Decorate your pie with whipped cream and slices of lime and enjoy!
- This pie can be kept covered and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.