Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

Bake for the weather you want, said someone, right?! Well, that’s the plan with this summery citrus-heavy pie! Munich has been treating us to days & days of rain, with no end in sight. While it does make for cozy baking weather, I would prefer sunshine! So I brought summer to the kitchen with a cool, zesty Key Lime Pie. I use all parts of the lime – zest, juice, & pulp – to make sure the lime is front & center in this summer favorite.  

Happy baking & don’t forget to tag @nickxfritz_munich in your snaps because we love seeing your creations!

Quantity: 1 23cm pie

Ingredients:

For the “graham cracker” pie crust:

This pie is traditionally made with a graham cracker crust but since these are hard to find in Germany, I developed my own version made from Leibniz cookies & rolled oats!

• 60g / ¼ c butter, melted
• 16 Leibniz volkorn biscuits
• 50g / ¼ c sugar
• 20g / ¼ c oats

For the key lime filling:

• 400g can of sweetened condensed milk (Pro Tip: this is not a very common baking ingredient in Germany so it can be a little hard to find. It’s usually stocked in the tea/coffee aisle of German groceries stores. Don't be confused by the German version of “Kondensmilch” from the brand, Bärenmarke – this is not the same thing! Look out for either the “Nestle Milch Mädchen, Gezuckerte” or “Dovgan Gezuckerte Kondensmilch”.)
• 2 TL / 2 tsp lime zest, from about 3 limes
• 118 ml / ½ c of lime juice, from about 5-6 limes
• 1 tsp lime pulp, use the leftover from juicing the limes above
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1 c whipping cream + 1 TL / 1 tsp sugar for the topping

Instructions:

For the pie crust:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C & butter the pie pan, set this aside for now
2. Using your hands, crush Leibniz biscuits (Pro Tip: to avoid a mess, add the biscuits to a Ziploc bag & crush the cookies in the bag). Add the cookie crumbs to a bowl together with the remaining ingredients
3. Using a fork, mix everything together until there are no more “dry” bits & it has a nice, crumbly texture
4. Pour the mixture into your pie pan & use your hands to flatten & spread it out. Make sure the cover the sides of the pie pan as well, at least 1cm high
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Set it aside & let it cool fully before using it!

Note: this is a great basic pie crust recipe for all kinds of pies! If you’d like a more advanced version with a chocolate layer on top, check out this recipe – it’s perfect for upcoming strawberry season!

For the key lime filling:

1. Decrease the oven temperature slightly to 175°C
2. Start with prepping all your lime inputs – wash & grate the limes for zest first as it’s hard to do so after juicing them! Usually 3 limes is enough to create 2 TL / 2 tsp of zest, do more or less as needed. Second, cut the limes in half & juice them. 5 limes is usually sufficient for ½ c of lime juice, again use more or less as needed. Lastly, scoop out 1 TL / 1 tsp of the leftover lime pulp. Double-check that there are no lime seeds in the pulp! Add all of this lime-y goodness to a large mixing bowl
3. Next, add the sweetened condensed milk, 2 egg yolks, & 1 whole egg to the same bowl
4. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine all the ingredients until the mixture is homogenous
5. Pour the key lime filling into the prepared pie crust & bake for 15 minutes. The center should be set
6. Allow the pie to cool completely on wire rack at room temperature before transferring it to the fridge to chill before serving
7. Garnish with lime slices & serve with whipped cream!

Storage notes: Once garnished, serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap & store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can make the pie & freeze it ungarnished for up to 1 month in an airtight container.

Happy Baking!

Post a pic and tag us @nickxfritz_munich with your version!

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