Key Lime Pie

I don't like too many varieties of pies, but the ones that I do... I LOVE! Key Lime Pie is one of my chosen varieties. I had a nice recipe that I've used several times to make it, but I ran across this one (Key Lime Pie) on Pinterest and knew that I had to give it a try. This recipe has only a few ingredients, and the lime zest and fresh lime juice just add a level of yuminess that is difficult to describe in words except... yummmmmmmmm. 

6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature (I used 7 large eggs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes) (I used 6)

The blog recipe calls for the crust, filling and decoration to be homemade, but I cheated a little and took the easy route for this first attempt and used a store bought Keebler's graham cracker crust and I really didn't even need the whipped cream, but I have some in the fridge if I decided I needed it.

The first step in this recipe is the zest and juice the lime. It's easier to zest the lime before it's cut and juiced. 

I ended up using about six limes to get the 3/4 cups of juice, and I had a lot more zest than the recipe calls for.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. I don't have an electric mixer, only a handheld, and it worked just fine.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into prepared pie shell and freeze.

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely.

Topping

1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Thin lime wedges

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Note: If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the recipe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest.