The last gluten-filled dessert I ever ate... homemade key lime pie.
A couple of years ago we discovered Famous Dave's. I have no idea how or why we hadn't known about it or why we went there in the first place. I've since discovered their sauces are not gluten-free so we probably won't go there very often from now on...but Adam is a key lime pie fiend. He is not, however, much of a cake person.
So, for his birthday, I made Key Lime Pie, Famous Dave's style.
And she saw that it was good.
I expected this to be difficult the first time I made it, but it's really super easy. If you or someone you know don't mind the gluten and LOVE key lime, this is a must-try!
Ok. Starts with the crust. You need:
CRUST
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon grated Key lime or lime peel
I swear it's the gingersnaps that make all the difference.
Anyway. Combine graham cracker crumbs, gingersnap crumbs, butter, brown sugar and lime peel in a bowl. I should also tell you that The Hobbit was sleeping when I made this, so I actually had to go into the garage and use a mallet to hammer crumbs out of my graham crackers and gingersnaps.
It wasn't until later, when I was cleaning out the pantry I discovered I had a whole box of graham cracker crumbs--no pounding required.
Mix until crumbs cling together to form a coarse mixture. Press crumb mixture over the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. This is about the only time I feel it's okay to touch butter. I have a butter thing. I hate it. I can only eat it if it's melted. If I saw a glob of butter on, say, a piece of toast, I would get a little nauseous. And if it gets on my hands, I have to wash them immediately.
Don't even talk to me about when it gets under my fingernails. Barf.
Chill crust in the refrigerator.
Now, you have to prepare the filling. Which is the best part, if you ask me.
You'll need...
FILLING
6 egg yolks
1 ¾ cups sweetened condensed milk
½ cup Key lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated Key lime or lime peel
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
¼ teaspoon lemon oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Getting the yolks out of those eggs is, I'm sure, pretty easy for all of you seasoned chefs. For me, this is a rarity, but I did okay...
Then I got cocky. Whatever you do, don't get cocky when separating yolks from whites. You'll end up like me...
With an entire yolk in your garbage bowl. Bad. Bad.
Ok, so preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Then you can whisk up these beautiful yolks.
If you're like me, you also don't have a real whisk and you have to use the one that came with your blender. Whatever...it's ok. I won't judge you.
Stir in condensed milk, lime juice, lemon juice, lime peel, lemon peel, lemon oil and salt. Oh, and for the record, I have no idea what lemon oil is. I've never used it when I've made this and I've never missed it. Don't tell Famous Dave.
What you'll end up with is something that looks like this. Don't fret that you are a messy baker. It's okay. Creative people thrive in chaos. (Do you believe me?)
For me, that looks a little like LEMON PIE...so I add my secret ingredient...
I have no idea if food coloring is bad for you, so if you are a natural health nut like the one I'm striving to become, you might want to find out before you make this. Oh, and you might need a replacement for the sweetened condensed milk because, uh, I'm pretty sure it's not healthy AT. ALL.
Anyway, I throw a few drops in...
Stir it up, pour it in my chillin' pie crust and stick it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. (Until filling is set.)
It comes out looking suspiciously similar to how it looked when it went in...
It's ok. It's YUMMY. You know, if you aren't watching your weight and aren't the least bit concerned about what you're putting in your body. (Can you tell I'm feeling convicted about sharing this recipe?)
Anyway, chill it and serve it with whipped cream. With any luck, your version will end up looking something like this:
Mine wasn't around long enough to look pretty. :)
Happy Friday! Have a great one!
