Made with key limes, this tangy pie filling pairs beautifully with a cardamom laced graham cracker crust to create a refreshing and memorable summer dessert. The recipe is also a vivid reminder of family. Aunt Cat may (or may not) have ever made a Key Lime Pie, and certainly never tried this exact recipe. Still it is her story, and my brother’s treasured memory, that inspire my affection for this distinctive pie.
Food and Family
Working on the pages for my Family Heirloom Cookbook I encountered several challenges. The first was collecting enough meaningful content to represent each branch of the family tree. It was important to me that I include at least one page for each of my aunts and uncles. I wanted that page to contain basic family data with a few photos for reference. I also wanted it to include at least one relevant recipe along with a related story or experience. In that way I hoped to introduce my reader to each member of the family while inviting them to engage in a sensory experience that would build relationship.
When I got to the page for Aunt Cat I wrote out a general profile. I entered dates, the names of my cousins and where they had lived. Next I located a few photos and began to write about her success as a matchmaker. I knew it was through Aunt Cat that my father first met my mother, but I remained sketchy on the details.
Suddenly I felt stuck. I realized I was missing several key elements for this particular page. Not only did I lack information about my aunt’s role in the family, I also needed a recipe. Though I had a collection of family recipes there were none I could honestly attribute to Aunt Cat. As far as I knew, she was never an avid cook. She was organized and had a head for numbers but I wasn’t clear that she took much interest in applying those skills in the kitchen. Without a recipe from her own hand I would have to take a broader perspective to complete Aunt Cat’s page in a meaningful way.
Shades of Lime Green
I needed to find a way to move forward. First I took a closer look at my personal memories. I had been to my aunt’s house many times as a child. She held an annual Christmas party in her basement before my uncle retired and they moved to Florida. The whole family was there. If I could just remember the food Aunt Cat served at the party I thought I could tie it to a recipe from my collection.
Thinking back, I pictured a number of dishes spread across a buffet table at the side of the room. Once again, the details remained sketchy. In my mind’s eye they blurred into an disagreeable haze of pink and lime green. I was still little then and known as a picky eater. All I remembered clearly about those holiday parties was the Life Savers Storybook I opened as a gift and the Plaster of Paris plaques my aunt crafted for winners of her party games.
Family Contributions
So I asked around. What did the rest of my family remember about Aunt Cat’s food preferences? What specific detail might serve to graft a good recipe onto the family tree?
My brother had the best idea. He remembered helping my aunt and uncle load their trailer and drive to Florida when they moved down south. His memory was also lime green, but his took on a distinctively golden tone and was in the form of a pie. He recalled tasting his first slice of Key Lime Pie along that route to Aunt Cat’s new home in south Florida.
Back in those days Key Lime Pie was still splendidly exotic. It was something new, something we had never eaten in Kentucky. In Florida my brother learned that key limes have a flavor that is slightly different than regular limes. While they are still quite tart, the flavor is more nuanced with intriguing herbal tones and bitter flavor notes. For that reason, he told me, key limes make “quite a good, tangy pie.” They certainly made an impression on him and he asked for a recipe. No doubt it went something like this…
Key Lime Pie
8
servings20
minutes25
minutes45
minutesMade with storied key limes this tangy pie filling pairs with a cardamom laced graham cracker crust to create a refreshing and memorable summer dessert.
Ingredients
1 inner section of graham crackers, crushed into crumbs (approx. 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
5 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
3 Tablespoons sugar
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice ( bottled, or from a dozen or so of those cute little key limes)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine graham cracker, crumbs and ground cardamom. Add the softened butter and mix well.
- Press the crumbs into a 9 inch pie plate, distributing the crumbs evenly across the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or until slightly browned. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are thick and lemon colored (I whisk to the length of the song “Peggy Sue.” It has a good beat for whisking.)
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and continue whisking until well combined. Whisk in the lime juice, half at a time, just until incorporated.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack. When cool, cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Top with sweetened whipped cream and a pinch of cardamon or lime zest if desired.
- Enjoy!
Nothing like having a piece of Key Lime Pie in the Summer. mmm
Your pie looks sooo delighful Lisa!
It may not be as "cutting edge" but it's definitely a romantic classic in my mind.
P.S. Really missed you in the May ice cream cupake challenge this time. 🙁
A good friend of mine absolutely adores key lime pie. I will be passing along your post to her! She'll be so excited!
this seems like a fitting recipe to include in your cookbook, lisa. heck, this seems like a fitting recipe to include in any cookbook–it's delightful! 🙂
My husband really loves Key Lime Pie, this would knock his socks off…
A slice of this on a hot summers day is pure heaven. Thanks for sharing your recipe with me.
Joyce
Oh yes, that lovely pie of pie just creams FLORIDA!!
That is one fine looking pie, just wish I had brought my fork along! It's one of my favorites, thanks!