Here we are on another lazy Sunday. I’ve wanted to attempt to bake something every week for this year. I know there will be plenty of times that won’t happen. I’m going to use it as a way to help fill this thing out and grow my knowledge. Also to grow my knowledge I’ve bought a book on the science part. I bought “How Baking Works” by Paula Figoni. I’ll eventually crack it open and start to read it. As we were laying around, taking an easy day, I asked my better half what I should make. What does she really want. The answer was swift. Key Lime Pie. I like Key Lime Pie. I don’t think I’ve ever made one so why not. I surely have no idea how to or where to start. Off to the cookbooks. In 2019 I bought all 3 of the Bake From Scratch books. I still hope to make a lot of different things from them. I’m not sure why but I cracked open volume 2 and on page 195 is a Key Lime Pie Recipe. Quick check of what I have verse what I need am I’m off to the store.

At the store I know I need 1 Cup of lime juice, think think think, yeah that’s 16 Tablespoons. Ok so if I can get 1 T outta each then I’ll be good. I grab 14 limes because I don’t know who cares don’t ask. There’s logic there even though I can’t find it. Side note it’s probably not Key Lime season as it’s January. Well regular Limes will suffice. How many cups are in sweetened condensed milk cans. No clue so I grab three hoping that’ll be enough. I have one anyway if it isn’t. They look to be at least a cup each.

I’m home now and starting to prep. I have graham crackers. Sometimes recipes aren’t the most helpful thing. How many graham crackers in 1 1/4 cups. There’s 8 sheets to a pack so I roll the dice and pop them in a ziplock bag. Once I have them crumbed up enough for my liking I measure them out. It’s a bit more than 1 1/4 cups but it’s “perfect”. Melt the butter and mix them with the salt and light brown sugar. Press them into the new pie pan I bought just for this. It’s a bit uneven here and there but again I’m only human. I need to start to let go of some of my Virgo perfectionist tendencies. Pop it in the oven and shut the oven off.

I don’t have Key Limes so I decide to zest 2 of the limes for added flavor. Hopefully that turns out. I cut one lime in half and start squeezing. Now I’m thinking 14 limes isn’t enough. Maybe if I just prep them I’ll get some more juice out of them. I’ve watched enough cooking shows to know that I can mush them with my hand to help out. I’m not sure it made a difference. I think it was all down to the limes themselves. In the end I used 8 limes for the cup of juice and 2 more for the zest. Probably should have thought that through too. It’s at this point I realize I need to turn the oven back on. Sigh. It’s working on preheating itself again while I’m finding out that 3 14oz cans of sweetened condensed milk will be perfect. Pop in the eggs and zest and whisk it up. I’m still waiting for the oven so I whisk it occasionally for funzies. Pop this into the crust and I have probably half a cup left as it’s a semi shallow pie pan. Into the oven for 10 minutes as directed. Bake until set. What the hell does that mean. That means no wiggle right? I don’t know so I’m doing the wiggle test and hoping that’ll work. I bake for about 14 minutes total checking for wiggle. It’s sitting there cooling. Lots of random little things learned this time. Hopefully it tastes good.

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs - about 8 graham cracker sheets
1/4 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 Cup (half a stick) unsalted butter - melted
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
3 1/2 Cups (3 14oz. cans) sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup Key lime juice (can swap with regular limes)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 Cup confectioners’ sugar
zest from 2 lime (we added this)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt.
Using a measuring cup, press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-ince pie plate.
Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely
In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs until combined.
Pour into prepared crust.
Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and confectioners’ sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream over pie.