Key Lime Pie

Time: 1 hour

Level of difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

For the crust -

1 and 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers (basically one sleeve)

5 tbs melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar 

For the pie

7 egg yolks

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

4 tsps. Zest of lime

1 cup lime juice (about 24 key limes, or 9 Persian limes)

For the meringue - 

4 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. Cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor crush the graham crackers, add the sugar and melted butter until combined. Press into a 9” pie bake and bake until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool.

With a mixer, either hand or stand with a paddle, whip the egg yolks until they’re light yellow, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk, mix, then with the mixer on low, add the lime juice in batches until smooth and creamy. Add the lime zest, fold in, pour mixture into the graham cracker crust, and bake for 20 minutes, or until set.

For the meringue

Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium until foamy and soft peaks forms, then up to high and add the sugar, one tbs. at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. You should be able to hold the bowl upside down over your head with nary a drip.

You can either pipe it, or mound it by the spoonful on the pie, bake it in a 350 oven for 15 minutes, or when then peaks of the meringue brown. Cool on a rack.