Key Lime Pie with Butter Cracker Crust
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 362
- Total Fat
- 16
- Saturated Fat
- 7
- Carbohydrates
- 49
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 33
- Protein
- 8
- Cholesterol
- 118
- Sodium
- 293
- Total: 3 hr 30 min (includes chilling time)
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
Crust:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering the pie plate
60 butter crackers, such as Ritz Crackers (about 2 sleeves)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg white
Filling:
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh Key lime or lime juice (from about 6 to 8 limes), plus 1/2 Key lime or lime for garnish
Pinch kosher salt
4 large egg yolks
Whipped cream, for serving (see Cook's Note)
Directions
Special equipment:
A piping bag with a star tip- For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. Put the crackers in a food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs. Add the butter, sugar and egg white and pulse until the mixture comes together like wet sand (it should hold together when pinched). Transfer to the prepared pie plate and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
- For the filling: Whisk together the condensed milk, lime juice, salt and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Pour into the cooked pie shell and bake until the filling is set and only slightly jiggles in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until chilled, about 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Prepare the garnish: Use a citrus zester to make strips of zest. Then cut away all of the peel and white pith (save the other half for another use). Cut the lime "meat" into small chunks.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with whipped cream. Pipe mounds of whipped cream around the edges of the pie and decorate with chunks of lime and zest. Serve immediately or return to the refrigerator to chill until serving.
Cook’s Note
For the whipped cream: Put 1 pint heavy cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a well chilled bowl or in a bowl over ice. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.