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

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt.

3. Using a measuring cup, press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-ince pie plate.

4. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely

5. In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs until combined.

6. Pour into prepared crust.

7. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely

8. 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.

Back to Recipes