Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce

I never knew how many people love this stuff until I started making it.

I had heard of KLP but never really seen any that looked good enough to try.  They were all green and slimy and think looking which dissuaded me trying them, so I thought I would look into it for myself.

The first thing I learned is that KLP is made with key lime juice, now a key lime is different from a persian lime in that it is much smaller, less juicy, and more expensive.  I have made pies with both and can not tell the difference.  If you can good for you, don't eat my pie, but we can both agree KLP should be yellow.  Yes I said yellow, that is because a bowl of lime juice is yellow and not green. If I am presented with a green KLP I will turn my nose, or at least give the maker an education so they can stop embarrassing themselves, and picking people with food coloring.

I also learned while living in Kodiak, Alaska that you can make this pie with equal results using your everyday lemon if limes are unavailable.

Folks are often surprised by how easy this pie is to make.

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 Persian Lime, or a bag of Key Limes
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
1 box of Graham crackers

First Let us start off with making the crust, an easy task.  You can buy your Graham crackers already crusted but I prefer to do it myself with the KitchenAid.  I used to smash them in a plastic bag, but always ended up with lumps and broken bags leaking crumbs.  With the KitchenAid food grinder I get perfect powder every time.

Here is another horrible thing when dealing with Graham cracker recipes. No one ever clarifies what they mean.  Well when I say you need 25 of these for a crust you know what I mean.  Yes, 25 is a lot, but you don't want your crust to be too thin.

 Now comes the butter.  I like to use a stick and a half for each crust. 

 Melt your butter (by cutting it into small chunks first, so it doesn't explode in the microwave) and pour it in the crumbs.

 Mix it until it looks like this.

 Shape is until it looks like this.

Set your crust aside and prepare to smash some citrus.
This is how I do it.  I used to just squeeze the lime, but this is much faster and less work.  Plus I get to use the the RedHead.

Ta Daaa! A whole effortless bowl

Now for the filling.

Crack your eggs in a bowl and then pull the yolks out and put those yolks in with the sweetened condensed milk, or separate however you want.

I know, there are more than six eggs but I'm making more than one pie.

Now whip them into one delicious liquid. After they are combined pour your lime juice in and watch the acidity of the lime curdle the sweetened condensed milk.  Don't resist the urge to taste it, I always do and I am yet to die.

Now pour this into the crust, put it in a preheated oven of 350F for 20 minutes, and chill before serving.

The Great Dr. PhD told me of a storied sauce he likes to top his pie with. RASPBERRIES!

You need sugar and raspberries you figure out the rest.

Put it on the pie and enjoy, or top with whipped cream.  You can see that post for making it yourself.  If you put store bought whipped nasty on your pie don't ever read this blog again, it's over your head