If you visit New Orleans, chances are you’ll sample the famous beignets at Café du Monde. A trip to Philadelphia would not be complete without a cheesesteak sandwich from Geno’s Steaks in South Philly. And travelers to south Florida are sure to order key lime pie when dining at any number of restaurants.
This Floridian specialty, which is now wildly popular throughout the country, actually originated in the Florida Keys in 1850. According to at least one online source, the pie was developed because dairy products were hard to come by in that region in the 19th century. The discovery of sweetened condensed milk, which comes in a can and is not perishable, hastened the creation of the key lime pie. Food historians note that the pie was first prepared with a traditional pastry crust, but about 60 years ago, graham cracker crusts became prevalent.
As for the key limes that the pie is named for, these tiny fruits are much smaller than conventional limes—about the size of a ping pong ball.
They are also yellow when fully ripe, just as the filling for an authentic key lime pie is yellow, not green. Several years ago, a series of harsh hurricanes decimated almost the entire key lime crop, and now growers have replaced them with sturdier Persian limes.
Today, Mexico—not Florida—is the most reliable supplier of key limes. You can often find them in specialty food stores in our area, and occasionally one of the chains will feature them in the produce section.
If you decide to use them, a handy way of extracting the juice is to cut them in half and squeeze them through a well-washed garlic press. Other alternatives to key limes are regular limes or bottled key lime juice. (I bought Willie and Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice at Martin’s, and most other stores offer at least one brand.) The one product you should avoid is bottled reconstituted lime juice, which produces a bitter aftertaste.
Like many other regional favorites, key lime pie has dozens of versions, many of which purport to be the genuine article. We present three distinct recipes, all of which make a refreshing finale to any summertime repast.
CLASSIC KEY LIME PIE
This treatment, which might remind you of lemon meringue pie, is a specialty of the Florida Keys and approximates what most food purists consider to be the real thing.
3 egg yolks
½ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 9-inch pastry crust, baked and cooled
4 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
In a medium bowl, with mixer on medium, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Add the lime juice and peel. Beat in the condensed milk and pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Thoroughly wash and dry the beaters, and in another bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the sugar and lime juice until mixture is stiff and glossy. Spread the meringue thickly over the filling, sealing it to the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until meringue is delicately browned. Serve the pie well chilled. Serves six
KEY LIME PIE WITH A PRETZEL CRUST
King Arthur Flour’s Web site and seasonal catalogs offer a wealth of products, tips and recipes for the baking enthusiast. They recently featured this selection, and I fell in love with the rich, velvety filling. The pretzel crust is also a novel innovation.
CRUST:
1 ¼ cups salted mini-pretzel rings
3 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons melted butter
FILLING:
4 egg yolks
2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup bottled Key Lime juice (such as Willie and Joe’s)
Grated zest and juice of 1 medium lime
Sweetened whipped cream, optional topping
The day before serving, prepare the crust: Using a food processor, process the pretzels until very fine. With motor running, add the sugar and butter through the feed tube until well blended. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and make the filling. Whisk together the egg yolks and condensed milk in a large bowl. Add the bottled lime juice, along with the fresh lime juice and grated zest. Pour mixture into the prepared crust, and smooth with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate, covered, overnight. Serve with optional whipped cream. Serves eight.
NO-BAKE KEY LIME PIE
Although this easy, offbeat recipe bears little resemblance to real key lime pie, I have served it often over the years, and it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
¼ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 (8 ½ ounce) can crushed pineapple with syrup (do not drain)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Few drops green food coloring
1 9-inch graham cracker crust
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
Grated bittersweet chocolate (topping)
Several hours before serving, combine the first 5 ingredients and pour into prepared pie crust. Cover and refrigerate several hours. Just before serving, whip the cream and sugar until stiff and spread over the pie. Decorate with grated chocolate. Serves six. FP
Ginnie Manuel is a Midlothian-based freelance writer and cookbook author.
