PIE #1 - SUBLIME KEY LIME

The key to key lime pie is key lime. The end....

Seriously though, the key to authentic key lime pie is truly the key lime. Floridians take their key lime pie seriously. In 2006 both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate passed legislation effecting that key lime pie be deemed the "Official Pie of the State of Florida." And back in 1965, Florida State Representative Bernie Papy Jr. introduced legislation calling for a $100 fine to be levied against anyone advertising key lime pie not made with key limes. That bill did not pass but every Floridian has ingrained deep into their southern soul that substituting standard lime juice in a key lime pie is a cardinal sin.

I just returned from sunny Orlando and I thought it apropos that I should kick off my pie blog with key lime pie. My research in the sunshine state was fruitful, so to speak. The key ingredient, of course, is key lime. Key limes are not to be confused with the ubiquitous Persian limes found in every supermarket. Key limes are like the runt offspring of a lemon and a lime; a much smaller and roundish yellow fruit whose juice, although paltry, packs a super tart punch. Being in the heart of Florida, I was confident that key limes would be displayed right next to their Persian relatives on the produce shelves.

Incorrect assumption. The first grocery clerk I approached apparently did not know what key limes were as she directed me to Persian limes. Another clerk led me to kiwis. And since I didn't want to spend my precious short time fruitlessly searching for those elusive key limes, I settled for bottled key lime juice, making sure it was 100% pure unadulterated key lime juice. (On an ironic side note...when I returned home to Montana, I discovered key lime juice and key limes are regularly stocked at my local grocers).

What the Orlando grocery stores lacked in key limes they redeemed themselves in key lime cookbooks. Go figure. I purchased a couple and then went to the bakery department of the Publix grocery store. Online reviews of their key lime pie were favorable, so I purchased a pie and let it chill in the hotel refrigerator before sampling it. A key lime connoisseur I am not, but this pie was quite delicious with a firm custard bursting with lime flavor and a graham cracker crust that embraced the filling without suffocating it.

My next stop was a Bahama Breeze restaurant whose key lime pie got rave reviews. Indeed, with its hearty brown sugar graham crust and billowy meringue topping, this pie seriously upstaged the Publix version. Had I more time in Florida to taste test, I would have graced my palate with many more key lime pies. So armed with an arsenal of recipes and my key ingredient of key lime juice, I flew back home to bake my very first pie.

I opted for the classic version - graham cracker crust, custard filling, and a whipped cream garnish versus the gourmet version of a meringue topping. Tackling meringue will come later in my pie quest. Miss Miranda would be happy that I left out no ingredients-es. She might, however, frown upon the fact that I took some creative license with the original recipe. I substituted brown sugar in the crust, added a bit of vanilla extract for depth and doubled the custard filling because it didn't quite fill the pie pan. The end product was a respectable Key Lime Pie!

LINDA'S SUBLIME KEY LIME PIE

Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
7 egg yolks
3/4 cup key lime juice
Freshly whipped cream
Lime slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix all crust ingredients together and press evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool.
In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the milk and egg yolks at low speed. Slowly add the key lime juice. Mix until well blended and mixture has thickened a bit. Pour into prepared crust and refrigerate overnight. Right before serving, top with whipped cream and lime slices. Makes 1 9-inch pie.

Other key facts about key lime pie:

Purists shudder at the thought of adding green food coloring to key lime pie. A key lime pie in its natural glory is a pale buttery yellow mainly due to the egg yolks but also because key lime juice is yellow, not green.

Key Lime Pie originated in Key West, Florida by local residents referred to as "Conchs". Because refrigeration was not available and there were no cattle in the area, canned milk was used.

The acid from the lime juice sets and thickens the egg yolks. There is no need to cook the custard filling although most recipes nowadays call for briefly baking the filling to ward off any possible lurking salmonella bacteria.

A key lime yields just 1-2 teaspoons of juice whereas a Persian lime yields 1-2 tablespoons. In a pinch, you can substitute 1/2 Persian lime juice and 1/2 lemon juice for key lime juice. Purists, of course, insist on fresh key lime juice when making their pies.