Key Lime Pie in 12 degree Chicago

So it was my dad’s birthday on Saturday and my mom and Gillian and I decided we had to make something for him. I immediately thought classic chocolate double cake and Gilly agreed but my mom told me it wasn’t what my dad likes best. My dad is a funny eater because he will eat normal foods, the foods everyone else eats, but until he finds the best of the best of that type of food, he won’t enjoy it as much as the rest of us. I could eat a piece of brie at a party and be completely satisfied with the Costco brand, so will my dad but until he gets the Point Reyes Brie, he won’t enjoy it that much. It reminds me of his fiftieth birthday. My dad, my brother and I went to Florida to spend a week fishing and boating. We bought a Key Lime pie for the night of his birthday but my brother forgot to put it in the fridge before we went out to dinner. It was quite sloppy when we got back but my dad ate it anyways. In an effort to get the full experience of the Key Lime pie in Florida, he bought another the next day. That night we played poker and made bets for the stakes. My brother made the stakes including jumping in the water at night after watching JAWS and drinking a half cup of olive oil. Of course, he had overestimated his poker-playing skills or underestimated my skills and ended up performing both bets. We also made a bet for my dad that he wouldn’t be able to refrain from having a piece of Key Lime pie that night. He lost the couple of hands and we tried to hold him to the bet. He, however, did not hold to the bet. So, I decided to make Key Lime pie for this birthday. It of course included numerous West Wing episodes and maybe a procrastination of homework. Wow, this was a really big ramble but enjoy my recipe for Key Lime pie.

Shortbread Crust (I love this crust for the pie because the butter of the crust is a better contrast to the nice acidic taste of the Key Limes. I think the graham cracker crust is too sickeningly sweet.):
1 ¼ C. all purpose flour
1/3 C. sugar
1 t. grated lemon zest (I used lime zest in the spirit of the pie)
¼ t. salt
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter (cold if using a food processor, which I suggest you do, and softened if doing by hand)
1 large egg yolk

Process or whisk together in a bowl the first four ingredients. Add the butter and process until coarse crumbs or use a pastry blender by hand. Add the yolk and either process just until the dough just starts to form into a ball or blend vigorously with a spatula. Its harder doing it by hand and I had to put the bowl in the freezer for a couple of minutes, then form a ball and put back into freezer for a couple of minutes. Roll the dough out with some loose flour between two sheets of wax paper about 3 inches larger than the 9, 9.5, or 10 pie pan. The pan should be buttered and floured. Don’t use too much or too little flour or you will get dough that falls apart or one that sticks. Don’t bother crimping the edge, prick the bottom and sides with a fork and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown for 18-22 minutes. Watch it to make sure it doesn’t burn which it can easily. After it done, brush it all over with an egg wash of just a yolk and a pinch of salt. Put back in the oven for another minute so the egg sets and creates a seal for the filling. Let cool completely on a rack.

Key Lime Pie Filling:
1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I can only ever find the 14 oz. so just use that and make sure you really get all of it out with a rubber spatula)
4 large egg yolks
½ C. fresh Key Lime juice (I estimated about ten key limes will get you this amount but buy twelve just in case. I find them at my local grocery store sold by the bag of 14. If you can’t find them use limes. I think the Key Limes are really tart, which I like.)
3 to 4 t. grated lime zest
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1/3 C. powdered sugar

Whisk together first four ingredients until a thick mixture forms. Pour filling into crust and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven until filling resembles gelatin or about 16 minutes. Cool completely on rack, then refrigerate until cold or for 1 day. Right before serving whip the cream and slowly add the sugar until soft peaks form. Spread over filling and garnish with sliced limes. Have fun and stay in school!