Key Lime Pie, or, THE BEST PIE!
Key. Lime. Pie.
These three words strung together are the most magical thing in the world, but long have I been intimidated by the thought of making this, my most favorite of all desserts. The zesting of the citrus, squeezing of the lime juice, and mixing in of the condensed milk simultaneously make my mouth water at the thought of them and strike fear into my heart at the thought of baking them. Therefore when Kendra told me she was going to make this last week it was like there was a chorus of angels and a basket of tiny puppies and kittens singing. The heavens opened and in the sky, instead of the sun, was a bright, glowing, delectable key lime pie.
Thank you to my beautiful, wonderful wife for making all of my dessert dreams come true. Also, thank you, Martha Stewart, without whom this pie would not be possible.
A veganized recipe from the inimitable Isa Chandra, personal hero and master of all things vegan, is also included.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed key-lime juice
1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 can (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine graham-cracker crumbs, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl; mix well. Press into a 9-inch pie plate, and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
Lower oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice, and zest. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.
Return pie to oven, and bake until the center is set, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Shortly before serving, combine heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over cooled pie, unless you loathe whipped cream, like Kendra does; garnish with zest. Serve immediately.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
2/3 cups fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons agar flakes (or two teaspoons agar powder and skip the soaking step)
1 16 oz can coconut milk at room temperature
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or try it with corn starch or arrowroot – but I like tapioca best)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9 inch prepared pie crust
DIRECTIONS
In a small sauce pan, soak the agar in almond milk for about 15 minutes. Bake your pie crust for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove from oven to cool.
In the meantime, mix together coconut milk, tapioca, sugar and vanilla. It’s really important that your coconut milk is at room temperature so that it doesn’t affect the agar when you add it to the pot.
After soaking agar, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Keep a close eye so that it doesn’t boil over. Immediately reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until agar is dissolved. If using powdered it will only take about 5 minutes to dissolve.
Once dissolved (you can check by dipping in a tablespoon and seeing if there are any agar flakes left), very slowly whisk in the coconut mixture and then the lime juice and zest. Adding it too fast will make the agar gel up, which you don’t want it to do just yet. Once added, whisk often for about 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened. If it isn’t thickening, turn the heat up just a bit, but you don’t want it to boil.
Pour into pie shell and let cool on the counter for about half an hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until fully set. Garnish with lime slices. Serve with some vegan whipped cream.
And there you have it, my friends, your very own key lime pie! Don't wait 32 years like I did to finally enjoy one at home.