Traditional Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
CRUST
250g packet digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs
130g melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
FILLING
3 large egg yolks
395g can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
10g gelatine powder
300ml cream, to serve
grated zest of 2 limes, to serve
Description
Originally these pies were made with the true Key lime, a thin-skinned juicy sour lime grown in the Florida Keys. In 1926 a hurricane wiped out the groves and since then the commercial Tahitian or Persian lime has been the only lime available. The famous pie has survived the storm, however, and when we visited Key West on a Caribbean cruise, we found tiny shops entirely devoted to this Caribbean and Southern specialty. Traditionally it was covered with freshly whipped cream and lime zest as I have done, although most modern versions are topped with meringue.
Method
First, make the crust. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Stir the biscuit crumbs together with the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Press this sticky mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of a 20cm loose-bottomed pie dish. Bake for eight to 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
For the filling, beat the egg yolks with an electric beater until they are thick and pale. Add the condensed milk and beat thoroughly with the yolks. Slowly add the lime juice and continue beating until the mixture is very thick.
Soak the gelatine in three tablespoons of cold water in a small saucepan for 10 minutes. Briefly put the pan over low heat until the gelatine melts. Do not allow it to boil. Stir into the pie filling and pour this mixture into the crust. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
To serve, whip the cream into soft peaks and spoon it over the pie. Scatter lime zest over the top.
Serves 6 to 8
Categories
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