Key Lime Pie
One of my absolute all time favorites is Key Lime Pie, authentic from Key West, FL. I first had key lime pie many, many years ago and fell in love. Every restaurant I go to that has this pie on the menu I order because I’m a connoisseur. The best I have ever had was at Houston’s in Atlanta.
This one was all about the crust
This was the inspiration for this version of my classic favorite. When I make pies and tarts that traditionally call for graham cracker crust I swap my grahams for Nilla Wafers. Nilla wafers are a little more crunchy and have a slightly milder flavor. The crust I took my inspiration from was graham based but with lots of crunchy pecans throughout. In mine I also swapped the pecans for pistachios since I was making a tart. I chose it for it’s delicate and mild flavor to help balance out the strong tart flavor of the key lime juice.
To make the crust I used 9 oz of mini Nilla Wafers, 1/3 cup of unsalted roasted pistachios, 6 oz of unsalted melted butter, 2 tbs of sugar and a pinch of salt. In 90 percent of recipe salt is a flavor enhancer, it’s sole purpose is to elevate and enhance the other flavors of your dish. Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until ingredients stick together. Press crumb crust into tart or pie pan ensuring to get into the corners. Bake for 10 min then allow to cool.
I’ve made several key lime recipes but my all time favorite is Nellie & Joe’s from the famous restaurant in Key West. It’s simple, easy and delicious. It’s three ingredients, doesn’t require a mixer and bakes up in 15 min.
Key Lime Pie recipe
Egg Yolks 3
Nelly & Joe’s Key West lime juice 1/2 cup
Sweetened condensed milk 14 oz (1 can)
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl using a whisk until smooth. Pour into cooled prepared crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 min. Allow pie/tart to cool completely chill and then garnish.
Yup, that’s it! Super simple extra delicious. This tart is garnished with thinly sliced limes, sweet mint from my garden and fresh-made whipped cream.
