Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups (180 g) Graham Cracker Crumbs (or Digestive Biscuits), finely crushed
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 g) Granulated Sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons (85 g) Unsalted Butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 g) Salt
  • 1 (14-ounce/396 g) can Sweetened Condensed Milk, full-fat
  • 4 Large Egg Yolks, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120 ml) Fresh Key Lime Juice, crucial to use fresh Key limes
  • 1 Tablespoon (5 g) Key Lime Zest, finely grated
  • 1 cup (240 ml) Heavy Cream (35% Fat minimum), well chilled
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 g) Icing Sugar (Confectioners' Sugar), sifted
  • Fresh Lime Slices and Zest, for decoration

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and mix until incorporated. Firmly press the mixture into the base and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake for 8 minutes to set the crust. Remove and cool slightly.
  2. Zest the Key limes first, then juice them and measure precisely. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks for 2 minutes until pale and slightly thickened (the sablé stage). Gradually whisk in the condensed milk until smooth. Slowly stream in the Key lime juice and the zest. Mix only until just combined; the acid will immediately thicken the mixture. Do not overmix.
  3. Pour the filling mixture into the pre-baked crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Bake for 10–12 minutes. The pie is done when the edges are firm but the center has a slight wobble. Remove and let it cool completely on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Cover loosely and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally overnight, until perfectly chilled and set.
  4. Just before serving, whisk the cold heavy cream and icing sugar together until medium-stiff, cloud-like peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie. Garnish with additional fresh lime zest and thin slices. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to get clean slices.