I learned pretty late in the day that people were coming over for  offer and dessert after dinner. I didn’t want to just serve them fruit or store bought cookies, and decided on one of my favorite pies–key lime pie. This recipe is derivative of many other basic key lime pie recipes, so I can’t take credit for the idea. Sometimes you just don’t want to mess with a classic. I made 2 pies, so the ingredient amounts were doubled, but I’m listing it as a single pie recipe. This dessert is delicious all on its own, but tastes even better with a big dollop of homemade whipped cream!

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1 sleeve of graham crackers
• 6 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1/4 cup of white sugar

Filling:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 whole eggs
• Lime zest—zest the whole lime, but reserve a few pinches for later
• 1/2 cup of key lime juice—I might have to turn in my foodie card, but I actually like the sweet tanginess of bottled key lime juice. Just make sure it’s a quality brand!
• 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

To Make the Pie:

1. Mix together the crust ingredients until they take on the texture of wet sand
2. Press the mixture into a pie tin or dish and bake at 325 degrees for about 10-12 minutes
3. Let the crust completely cool before proceeding to the next step
4. For the filling, combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix until it becomes a homogenous blend
5. Pour into pie crust so that it goes almost to the top edge, but leave a slight border all around so you can see the crust. Plus it saves room for whip cream!
6. Chill for 10 minutes to slightly set, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees
7. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes—make sure it doesn’t brown
8. Immediately transfer from the oven to the fridge for at least 3 hours, and up to overnight
9. Garnish with whip cream, a sprig of mint, and a sprinkle some reserved lime zest before serving