Key Limes got their name because they grow everywhere in the Florida Keys. Did you know that the Florida Keys are made up of more than 1000 islands off the coast of south Florida? (I definitely didn't. Of course, some of the islands are the size of my backyard, but still.) Back to the point. I have always loved Key Lime pie, so I thought I'd attempt to make a 4 ingredient version! (I wonder how many pounds I've put on since I've started all this "necessary" taste testing. I better do vegetables for my next post.) For this devilish dessert you'll need:
2/3 cup of key lime juice--bottled juice works great! (You could use regular limes but then you just have "Lime Pie" - not quite as special sounding)
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 &1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk + 2 Tablespoons (will need 3 small cans)
A graham cracker pie crust (Mi-Del makes a great Gluten- Free one.)
-First preheat oven to 350.
-Next in a medium sized bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the cream until it is very thick (at least 3 min. on high)
-You then put 2/3 cup of the whipped cream in a separate (larger) mixing bowl with 2/3 cup of Key Lime juice and 2 &1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk. Mix everything together on low until well blended. (This makes up the filling.)
-Next stir 2 tablespoons of the condensed milk into the rest of the whipped cream and put it in the freezer for 20 min. (This will be the topping.)
-Pour the pie filling into the graham cracker crust and bake for 7 to 9 min (or until filling is firm to the touch)
-You then put the pie in the freezer until cool. Once the pie is cool you can top it with the very cold whipped cream. (Make sure before you add the whipped topping that you briefly blend it with the electric hand mixer to smooth out any frozen parts.)
*For a better presentation, carefully trim the visible foil edge of the pie tin.
** If You want to use your own pie dish, you can mix the pre-made crust with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water then press it into a new pie dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. To solidify the crust bake for 5min.
Topping Trick
As I've probably mentioned before, I have less than zero fine motor skills. I have, however, found a very simple way to decorate cakes and pies that I can actually pull off. All you do is cut a tiny slit in the corner of a large plastic bag, fill up the corner of the bag with some of the topping, seal the bag and gently squeeze the topping through the slit and decorate. (In this case, I formed cinnamon roll-shaped dollops.)
*Since I originally posted this, I have gotten a frosting decorating kit from Michael’s. The metal tips and thick bags make decorating cakes and pies sooo much more easy and fun!
**As far as the lime garnish, just cut a slit almost all the way across thin slices of lime, twist them and place them on top of each dollop. The lime slices cover a multitude of sins!
Don't Like The Pucker?
If you don't care for the taste of lime, you can make the pie exactly the same but substitute 2/3 cup or so of raspberry puree for the key lime. To make the puree, simply blend a carton of raspberries in a blender or bullet. (You might want to hold back 4 to 6 raspberries for garnish.)
Looking Back
Who doesn't like cookie crust pies? A couple of Christmases ago Pickett's Pearls made this yummy Peppermint Ice Cream Pie in a chocolate cookie crust. Super easy!
Funny Sayings
Recently my husband pointed out that we often put "literally" in front of phrases for the sake of emphasis, but it is funny to think about what we're 'literally' saying. For instance: "She was literally swept her off her feet" . . . uh, I doubt that. Or, "I literally froze to death." Hmmm, well . . . you made a great recovery!