Dads deserve the best on Father’s Day for all they do. While many women are going out of their way to buy tools, ties and t-shirts, I’m going out of my way to teach my kids how to squeeze limes and make whipped cream from scratch. Truth be told, my husband’s favorite dessert is key lime pie. So I’ve mastered the preparation. And yes, you have to squeeze the limes fresh. And yes, they have to be Key limes. Store bought juice will be easier, but it will also yield a noticeable difference in the taste of the finished product.
You will need:
5 egg yolks (save the whites for meringue)
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
6-8 tablespoons of lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup of heavy cream
3 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar
Grated rind of 1 lime for decoration
Green food coloring
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Line a pie plate with the pastry dough and prick it with a fork. Then press heavy duty foil into the pie shell to keep it from bubbling. Bake for 6 minutes, then remove the foil and bake 4 minutes more. Take the pie crust out of the oven and set aside. Reduce heat to 350.
Put the yolks in a large bowl and beat them with a whisk, mixing them well. Slowly stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Mixing well, stir in the lime juice.
Now here is the real secret to a good key lime pie and a step not to be skipped: taste it. Yep–you read that right. . .taste the key lime pie. It should be tart, not to sweet, but not so limey that it makes your lips pucker. Adjust accordingly but make sure to add things slowly so as not to overdue it. You can also mix in a couple drops of food coloring at this point if you choose.
Pour the filling intot he pie shell and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and cool. Whip the cream, slowly adding confectioners sugar. Spread over the pie and sprinkle with lime rind to decorate.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, and also writes about politics and the occassional movie review. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.
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