Last Tuesday was my birthday. Hurray! Now I’m 38. The day after my birthday, I exercised and felt like I had sprained a rib somehow. Ha ha, says my body! Now you’re old!
Anyway, I’m sure you’re not surprise to learn that birthday = baking here, though this year I was totally unsure of what I wanted to make. Since I’ve been trying to get fit, I somehow wasn’t that into the idea of something too decadent and chocolatey. Beth brought over a great key lime tart from Scratch, and then I found a lemon pie recipe for which I had all the ingredients, and so the decision was made.
I forgot to take a photo until the last slice, and so all you get is this faux artsy photo that is attempting to hide the fact that this piece has a broken crust.
Recipe: Lime Pie with Pecan Graham Crust, adapted from Everyday Food.
This is best when it’s chilled for longer — if you can, make it the day before.
1/2 cup pecans
2/3 cup graham-cracker crumbs (5 crackers, crushed)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large egg yolks
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice (fresh would have been nice, but I used bottled)
- Preheat oven to 350. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- In a food processor, finely grind graham crackers, sugar, and pecans. Add the butter, and process until completely combined.
- Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie pan, using the back of a spoon. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Put it on a wire rack to cool a bit while you’re mixing the filling.
- In a large bowl, or in a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk. Stir in the lime juice. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake until filling is set and crust is golden brown around the edges, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate until well chilled, at least one hour.
Tune in Tuesday for more on birthday baked goods, and the embarrassment of being caught with horrid children.
Yum! I love lemon/lime desserts. My mom used to make a great lemon cake for my birthday- I have to get that recipe from her.
I have a similar recipe to yours that is from Shape mag (i think)- it’s lower fat but it might be a bit higher in sugar–
Lemon (or lime- i’ve done both in this recipe) lover’s pie
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
2 large eggs
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbls butter, melted
1 9-in graham cracker pie shell (although I am going to try the crust from your recipe)
1) place rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350
2) In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, egg whies and flour. Blend on medium speed for 2 mins
3)Add butter to the blender and blend for 10 more seconds. Set pie shell in a larger pie pan or baking sheet to make it more stable. Pour the filling into the shell.
4) Bake for 30 to 35 mins, until the pie is set in the center and lightly golen on top. Transfer to a rack to cool, then dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar.
Julie, I am *so* making this pie! Happy bday again, and glad you like the Key Lime. By the way,I dreamed that Dave was a mad scientist last night, complete with the wild hair and a very elaborate silver machine in the basement. (Lots of curling tubes and wires.) Weird, huh?
Beth, that doesn’t sound like a dream at all. Seriously. It’s totally our reality.
I just pulled my lime pie from the oven and it’s killing me that I actually have to cool it and then refrigerate it before I can dig in – can’t wait!
LOVED the pie! I had it in the fridge for a good three hours before finally digging in and it was well worth the wait. I used fresh limes and for those of you interested, it took five to make the half cup of juice. Super easy to make although it’s hard to explain to sweet toothed boys why they can’t have any fresh out of the oven and that they’ll have to wait until tomorrow!