Not-so-Key-Lime Pie
Pie filling and crust ingredients:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 crumbled pecans
¼ cup packed light brown sugar Kosher salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 large egg yolks
1 (14-oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
1¼ cups fresh lime juice
From scratch vanilla pudding or 1 packet instant vanilla pudding
Vanilla pudding recipe:
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups Half and Half (you can also use a higher fat % milk or light cream)
1 cup white sugar
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 Teaspoon salt
If you choose to make the pudding yourself these are the step by step directions:
Combine the sugar and corn starch in a heavy duty metal medium size saucepan. Add the half and half to the pan and place it on the stove over medium heat. Cook and gently stir the mixture with a whisk until it thickens and comes to a boil. After the mixture has noticeably thickened whisk slowly and boil for two more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Remove one cup of the thickened mixture from the pan. Slowly add it to the egg yolks while you stir slowly to combine them. Take the mixture you just made with the egg yolks and the one cup of ingredients from the pan and slowly whisk it back into the ingredients in the pan. Don't add the mixture all at once back into the pan, it needs to be added gradually while you whisk.Place the pan back on the stove over medium heat. Bring the ingredients up to a gentle boil, reduce the heat cook and whisk slowly for 2 more minutes.Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, salt and vanilla. Pour the pudding into a large bowl to cool and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap so it's touching the top of the pudding. The plastic wrap will prevent a film from forming on the top of the pudding as it cools. Let the pudding cool on the counter 45 minutes to an hour before returning to the rest of the project. You can also do this a day or two before.
Now, back to the pie…
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl whisk the graham cracker crumbs with the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened. To form the crust, press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the side of a 10-inch metal pie plate. Bake for about 10 minutes, until just set. Let cool completely.
2. In a bowl whisk the egg yolks with the condensed milk, lime juice and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add in the zest of one lime, you can do one and a half if you’re a big fan, but I wouldn’t advise more than that or it will overpower. slowly add in your pudding, folding it into the mixture as it begins to thicken up. For a traditional 9.5” pie dish, you should use proximately 3/4 of the pudding. if your mixture looks a bit thin you can add the remaining pudding.
3. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and transfer to the oven. Immediately lower the oven to 325°, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
Garnish:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
zest of 1 lime
either 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 packet vanilla sugar
Lime slices
Piping bag and tip of your choice for decorating
You may also add additional zest to the garnish if you so choose
In you stand mixer of which a hand held, whip your cream, vanilla, and zest until it thickens and forms a consistency thick enough to pipe. Feel free to adjust flavors as you like, if you want a bit more vanilla or lime flavoring, go for it!
I hope if you try out this not-so-traditional and not exactly key lime pie that you love it as much as we do! (I could eat all of it at once. It’s not an exaggeration. It’s actually really hard not to do…)