Key Lime Pie Cooled Before Slicing

Set out oz sweetened condensed milk 2, crème fraîche, and key lime juice before you start Key Lime Pie Cooled Before Slicing. The batch is written for 12 people.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 45 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Filling

• 28 oz sweetened condensed milk 2, 14 oz cans
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• ¾ cup key lime juice
• 2 teaspoons key lime zest optional
• ½ teaspoons kosher salt

For the Crust

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

For the Meringue

• 8 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar divided
• 1/3 cup water
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

How the cooking goes

Make the crust

1. Warm the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, kosher salt and light brown sugar in a bowl. Squeeze together to distribute the butter. Continue until it will hold together in a clump when pressed in your hand.
3. Press into pie dish. it helps to start with the bottom and then work the way up the sides, finishing with the edges. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the bottom no longer looks wet.

Make the filling

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (not convection – no fan).
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together sweetened condensed milk, crème fraîche, key lime juice, zest and kosher salt. Pour into baked crust.
3. The crust can still be warm or you can prepare the crust ahead of time. Simply cool, wrap and store at ambient temperature for up to 3 days.
4. Oven-bake at 325°F (not convection) 45-60 minutes until they start to have bubbles in the center and the edges have puffed and slightly cracked.
5. Allow to cool until it is no longer warm at ambient temperature and then wrap well and chill 2 hours to overnight.

Optional Meringue

1. In a small pot combine 2/3 cup sugar with water. Stir to incorporate. Wipe down any sugar crystals that stuck to the sides. Over a lively flame, begin to cook the sugar.
2. Once the sugar begins to bubble, begin whisking the whites in the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Once they begin to foam, slowly add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and turn the mixer on high.
3. The goal is that the sugar syrup hits 238°F (right before soft ball) as the whites get to stiff peaks.
4. You can lower the heat on the stove to give the whites more time or lower the speed on the mixer to give the syrup more time. You are in control!
5. Once the whites are at stiff peaks and the syrup hits 238°F, turn up the speed on the mixer to high and slowly pour the syrup down the sides of the mixer bowl into the whites. Beat until cooled slightly.
6. Mound on top of the cooled key lime pie! This meringue isn’t very stable because there isn’t high ratio of whites to sugar, so it is best to add it the day you serve it (or the day before).

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Pies and tarts, open Bourbon Pecan Pie Cooled Before Slicing and Blueberry Nectarine Galette for the Dessert Plate.