Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups Graham Crackers (or Digestive Biscuits), finely crushed
  • 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Key Lime Zest
  • 1 standard 14-ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk (full fat)
  • 4 Large Egg Yolks
  • ½ cup Fresh Key Lime Juice, strained
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream (or Double Cream), very cold
  • 2 tablespoons Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar), sifted
  • ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Thin Key Lime Slices, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt.
  3. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumb mixture. Toss and press until the crumbs are evenly moistened, resembling wet sand.
  4. Transfer the mixture to the pie dish. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to firmly press the crumbs evenly across the base and up the sides. Ensure the crust is compact and even.
  5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until lightly set and fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack while preparing the filling. Do not switch off the oven.
  6. Zest the limes first, ensuring you only take the bright green part, avoiding the bitter white pith. Set aside. Squeeze the Key Limes until you yield exactly ½ cup (120 ml) of strained juice.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk and the key lime zest together until well combined.
  8. Slowly stream the strained Key Lime juice into the condensed milk mixture while continuously whisking. The mixture will thicken slightly immediately.
  9. Whisk in the four egg yolks until the mixture is uniform, pale yellow, and silky smooth. Do not over-whisk.
  10. Pour the Key Lime filling carefully into the cooled crust.
  11. Return the pie to the 350°F / 175°C oven for 8 minutes. The centre should still be jiggly, but the edges should be visibly set.
  12. Remove the pie from the oven. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Once cool, transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally overnight, until the centre is firm.
  13. Just before serving, combine the cold heavy cream, sifted icing sugar, and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until firm peaks form.
  14. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pie, or pipe it artistically. Garnish with thin slices of Key Lime before serving.