eggless key lime pie

After the newness of the new year fades and the cold really settles deep in the bones, my restlessness blossoms into quick irritability and the blahs. Sometimes I can pinpoint the source of my discontent, but when I can’t I’ll try sitting in a sunbeam to see if the sun can warm away the blues. (I’m also armed with a light box…because you can take the girl out of Florida, but you can’t take the Seasonal Affective Disorder out of the girl completely). Luckily this is also the time citrus flavors peek their head around the corner and entice us to follow them down the path to mouthfuls of happiness. I’m not high, I promise. Just going crazy from being inside.

Anyway, I made this key lime pie and wanted to share the recipe with you. It’s on a traditional graham cracker crust, and best of all, it’s eggless. Who needs those pesky eggs when you can swap them out for sour cream without losing any flavor or texture? Certainly not my daughter and her egg allergy. This tart and tangy pie is just what this doctor ordered after a 12” snowstorm yesterday.

Eggless key lime pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

Crust

• 10-11 graham crackers (about 2 cups when crushed)
• 8 Tbsp (1/2 cup or 112g) unsalted butter
• 1/4 c (50g) sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 3/4 cup key lime juice (from about 1 pound or 20 key limes)
• 1 Tbsp key lime zest
• 2 each 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Have additional limes on hand for garnishing should the spirit move you

What to do

Make and bake your pie crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the graham crackers down to a coarse sandy texture. (Alternatively, place the crackers in a large plastic bag and beat them with a rolling pin to the same endpoint. Don’t get too carried away or you might bust the bag, but this is a productive way to vent some anger).
3. In a medium-sized microwavable bowl, melt the butter using the, well, microwave.
4. Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to the butter and mix together until completely combined.
5. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie dish. Press it in tightly to about 3/16” thickness (you know what I mean… an 1/8” is a bit thin, and 1/4” is a bit thick, but who cares really).
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
7. Let cool while making the filling.

Make your filling and bake again

1. Juice the key limes. Strain the seeds and pulp out. Or you can use bottled juice as long as you’re ok with being LAZY and content with your LESSER PRODUCT. I’m just kidding. I don’t care, just do what it takes to get the pie made!
2. Combine the lime juice, lime zest, condensed milk, and sour cream in a large bowl and stir together until smooth. 
3. Pour the filling into the shell. You can smooth the top with an offset spatula for good measure.
4. Bake at 350F for 6-8 minutes until you see tiny bubbles bursting on the surface.
5. Let cool completely. I let mine sit at room temp for about 1.5 hours, then put in the fridge for a couple more until it was serving time.

Make your whipped cream and get jiggy with it

Again, maybe it’s like a placebo effect, but I like homemade whipped cream better than store bought and it’s easy to make if you have a mixer. 

1. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, whip up the cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. 
2. You can dollop it on, or put the whipped cream in a large plastic bag or piping bag fitted with a large piping tip  (or just cut the end off the bag) and pipe away. 
3. Get real fancy by cutting up a couple of limes and placing them delicately in such a fashion that would make Martha proud. 
4. EAT.

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