Happy Spring! With Easter around the corner, here’s a fantastic Key Lime Pie recipe. This recipe actually uses regular limes as they are quicker to squeeze and easier to find than the little key limes. Regular limes work well with the addition of the “secret” ingredient: fresh squeezed orange juice. Ruckle Heritage Farm worker Abey Scaglione once won third place in the Beverly Hills pie contest with her original recipe but after discovering that Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs contain high fructose corn syrup, she knew the recipe was in need of some “real food” clean up. While not healthy, per se, this delicious treat is at least something you can proudly serve on special occasions.
Cali-Lime Pie
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs– buy an organic brand of graham crackers that uses regular sugar vs corn syrup and then grind them yourself in a food processor. Use gluten free graham crackers to ditch the wheat flour
6 tbsp unsalted butter – grass-fed cultured butter is a great option
1 can sweetened condensed milk– use organic, which you can find at health food stores
4 egg yolks – ideally eggs from pastured chickens
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime/orange juice (about 4 limes and half an orange worth of juice) -buy organic if possible
~1 tbsp grated zest – I suggest grating a couple of the limes before you juice them and save some zest for the top of the pie
1/2 cubs heavy cream – buy organic, or ideally raw, organic cream since you aren’t cooking this part of the pie
1 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 375.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in medium bowl.
Press into 9 inch pie plate and bake for about 12 minutes. Cool.
Lower oven to 325.
In medium bowl whisk together egg yolk, juice and zest, slowly add condensed milk.
Pour into crust.
Bake until center is set but quivers when nudged, about 20 minutes. Cool
Before serving whip cream and vanilla. Spread over cooled pie. Sprinkle with zest.
Enjoy!
