Awesome Easy Key Lime Pie

The speckled eggs are turkey eggs. Yum.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe, but we made this last night, so I thought I would share.

Now you all know that I’m pretty much a “from scratch” girl. If I can make it myself, I generally do, from mustard to yogurt to soap. But sometimes a simple recipe comes along using a processed ingredient, and it rocks so much that you just refuse to hang your head in shame and instead fight your husband for the last piece. This, my friends, is one of those recipes. If you buy the crust premade and used canned whipped cream, this is a five, count ’em, five ingredient recipe.

This recipe originally appeared in Cooks Illustrated Magazine in March 1997. Of course, Cooks, being Cooks, makes it as complicated as possible, with a from scratch graham cracker crust, homemade whipped cream and beating the zest with the egg yolks for two minutes in an attempt to release some color from them.

Me? Sometimes I’m a simple girl, and it’s a weeknight, so I often make this with a Keebler Ready-Made Graham crust (even though, I have, in the past, made my own from-scratch graham crackers), and a can of whipping cream. This recipe also works beautifully with lemon instead of lime. My mother-in-law loves lemon pie but hates meringue, so this is my go-to dessert when she is visiting.

OK, not exactly a glamour shot, I admit. But if only you could taste it, you’d forgive me.

EASY PEASY KEY LIME PIE

• One graham cracker crust, ready-made or your favorite homemade recipe, prebaked. Use a smaller sized pie plate if you are making your own.
• 4 teaspoons grated lime zest (From about 1 1/2 limes. Organic is nice here, since you are eating the skin. And I love my rasp grater – just saying).
• 1/2 cup lime juice from 2 to 3 limes (regular limes are fine. Or use key limes if you can find them/afford them/want to try them. Don’t use bottled juice. It will taste weird. Best limes for maximum juice have thin shiny skins. You can totally spot them in the lime bin.)
• 4 large egg yolks (save the whites – they freeze beautifully – and make an angle food cake when you have enough saved up).
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Ingredients = milk and sugar. Use regular, or low-fat – don’t go fat-free. You can sometimes find organic brands).
• Whipped Cream to taste.