Key Lime Meringue Pie

Use your favorite pie crust recipe (I will include mine at the bottom of the post) to make one 9 inch pie crust.  Dock with a fork to keep the crust of puffing up.  Bake until lightly brown at 425°.

            Before baking                                                                 After baking

Equipment for the zesting and the juicing.

Use zester (mine is a nugmeg grater from Mircoplane) or peeler to remove top layer of lime peel from limes. Try not to get the white part of the peel, it is bitter.   

Roll limes on counter to loosen juice. Cut in half and juice (I started with a citrus reamer, but found that I could just squeeze most of the limes just fine).  Strain juice to remove seeds and pulp.   

 

Equipment for the filling.

 

I used raw sugar, and so it is slightly brown from the darker sugar.

 

In large bowl combine juice, zest, cornstarch and sugar.    Mix well.  Add egg yolks and beat hard with a whisk for a couple of minutes.   

Slowly add boiling water, beating as you do.

 

 

 

 

Move pie filling to double boiler and cook on medium high, stirring nearly constantly.  Pie filling will thicken (5-8 minutes).  Remove from heat and cool. 

 

Beat egg whites in mixer (make sure the bowl is very clean or the meringue will not form). 

When eggs start to form very soft peaks, add powdered sugar slowly.  Beat until the eggs are glossy and form mostly stiff peaks.   (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it.)

 

 

 

Pour pie filling into pie crust.   

 

 

 

 

 

Top with meringue, making sure it firmly touches all edges of the pie crust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bake at 350° F  for 15 minutes, or until meringue is browned.

Key Lime Meringue Pie Recipe

•    1 9 inch pie crust
Pie Filling
•    15-20 key limes for
       o    ½ cup key lime juice
       o    2 tbsp key lime zest
•    3 tbsp cornstarch
•    1 cup sugar
•    3 egg yolks
•    1 ¼ cup boiling water
Meringue
•    3 egg whites
•    4 tbsp powdered sugar, sifted
Use your favorite pie crust recipe, make one 9 inch pie crust.  Dock with a fork and bake until lightly brown at 425°.
Use zester to remove top layer of lime peel from limes.  Roll limes on counter to loosen juice and juice.  Strain juice to remove seeds and pulp.  In large bowl combine juice, zest, cornstarch and sugar.  Mix well.  Add egg yolk and beat hard with a whisk for a couple of minutes.  Slowly add boiling water, beating as you do.  Move pie filling to double boiler and cook, stirring nearly constantly.  Pie filling will thicken (5-8 minutes).  Remove from heat and cool.
Beat egg whites in mixer (make sure the bowl is very clean).  When eggs start to form very soft peaks, add powdered sugar slowly.  Beat until the eggs are glossy and form mostly stiff peaks.  Pour pie filling into pie crust.  Top with meringue, making sure it firmly touches all edges of the pie crust.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, or until meringue is browned.

Super Easy Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients

•    1 ¼ cups flour
•    ½ cup unsalted cold butter
•    ¼ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter
•    1 tablespoon sugar (for sweet pies)
•    3 tablespoons ice water
Combine flour and salt.  Add sugar if needed.  Use food processor to process on short bursts until it is like course meal.  Move to bowl and  briskly stirring with fork, gradually add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together (all water may not be needed).

(Actually I use the Alton Brown method, which is to lightly mist the dough with water from a clean spray bootle and stir.  I think it makes a flakier crust.  Here is the video to see what he does.)

Press into ball and flatten.  Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out and fit into pie pan.  Chill 30 minutes to stop shrinking while baking.  Bake at 425°F until golden brown or bake as directed by filling recipe.