Not Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie
me (not Steve) grating zest into a not-so-authentic crust
Don’t get me wrong: I’ve nothing against the venerable institution that is Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies. There is no contest — key lime pie greatness has been said for, and I couldn’t tell you of a better way to spend an afternoon than to go down to the waterfront in Red Hook and sit on the picnic table outside the old warehouse where the key lime pie magic happens and pet one or two of the dogs hanging around in the shade as you kill your afternoon appetite with a 4-inch pie, or better yet, one dipped in dark chocolate on a stick, called a Swingle. But for the home chef, there is nothing like the pride of making a pie that tastes almost as good as Steve Tarpin’s. And I’ll speak to that.
There are a few reasons why this version is decidedly not Steve’s recipe. The most obvious is that it’s not made with real key lime juice. I’m hard pressed to find one of these distinctly tart cousins to the common Persian lime that we use to spike our marinades and top our tonics with around here. I can understand why — have key limes graced any recipe besides that of its infamous pie? It just wouldn’t make sense to stock it at any Northeast grocery store in its right mind.
The second rule about not making Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie was not doing the no-bake, just chill-and-set custard method. I’ve tried this in the past and gotten varying degrees of mush; for one reason or another, the custard never quite gelled. So I’m following the directions of most of the key lime pie recipes I’d found in magazines and online recipes and baked mine for 15 minutes before chilling it overnight. This turned out a success at first attempt.
The third rule, and it’s certainly just an option, is sprinkling zest into the homemade pie crust mixture just to reinforce the lime flavor a little. I highly recommend baking your own graham cracker crust, as it tastes so much fresher and butterier than the flat, cardboard-like store-bought ones. And there you have it: a simple, fresh, crowd-pleasing pie unlike that of its declared master and still, in my opinion, pretty darn good. I suppose I shouldn’t get any points for decorating though, since it could have done without the stupid zest swirl I placed on top of the pie (stupid because when serving, everyone just had to move it over each time they cut themselves a slice, not because it wasn’t beautiful-looking).
patting your own crust into a pie dish is easier said than done — but still only took about 5 minutes
Not Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie
(makes 1 9-inch pie)
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tb unsalted butter, melted
1 Tb sugar
2 tsp lime zest
4 egg yolks
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (preferably from key limes, if you can find them)
To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and lime zest thoroughly in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a pie pan with a spatula or the back of a spoon to make a somewhat even crust. Bake for 6-8 minutes, remove and let cool completely before filling.
Very gently beat egg yolks with a fork or whisk (without beating in any air). Stir in sweetened condensed milk until completely blended, and stir in lime juice just until mixture is a smooth consistency. Pour into pie pan with crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove, let cool completely and chill for several hours before serving.
Cost Calculator
(for about 8 servings)
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (1/3 of a $2.99 box): $1.00
5 Tb butter (at $3.50/8 oz): $0.90
4 egg yolks (at $3/dozen): $0.50
1 can sweetened condensed milk: $1.59
1 Tb sugar: $0.03
Total: $4.02
Health Factor
Seven brownie points: Key lime pie is a very classic custard encased in buttery graham crackers. Its lime juice offers some Vitamin C, and I find that its intensity and creaminess help fill me up pretty quickly after one slice — just like any good dessert should.
June 6th, 2007 at 6:28 am
I love key lime pie (where can I get a swingle!!), and I love your twist of grating rind into the crust. Even if it is not Steve’s, your version sounds like a perfect end to a summer meal!
June 6th, 2007 at 9:28 am
It looks great. Oddly, here in Baltimore, we frequently have key limes-both at our local HMart and whole foods.
June 6th, 2007 at 11:09 am
I’ve been reading for a while but haven’t commented before now. I felt compelled to share that I’ve never thought of patting a graham cracker crust with anything other than my own fingers – I can’t imagine how difficult it would be with a spatula or spoon since it’s so dependent (for me, at least) on feeling the thickness of the crust and slowly pushing it up the sides of the pie plate….
I think I may have to try this recipe this weekend though – I’ve always wanted to make key lime pie. I think that the limes at our local bodega are somewhere between regular limes and key limes – mmmm I’m hungry for this now.
June 6th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
This reminds me that I have a bottle of Key lime juice bought on a trip there last year…finally, I’m inspired!
June 6th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Please excuse the problem I’m having with italics — ah heck, who cares? —
Deborah, come on down to Red Hook, that’s where, and let me know when you’re here!
Rachel: that’s amazing. I wonder if it’s a seasonal item, perhaps?
Martha and Amanda Rae — thanks!!
June 7th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
The pie looks absolutely perfect and you’ve made my mouth water. But good heavens! 15 minutes to get a crumb crust patted into the pan? I’m just dying to know how you did it that would take so much time. I honestly don’t mean to sound snide or offensive, so I hope you don’t take it that way. I’m genuinely curious. Because my experience with graham cracker crust has been that it can’t take more than 7 minutes, start to finish. Put the crackers in a plastic bag, crush them with a rolling pin. Melt the butter, put it in a bowl with the cracker crumbs, add the sugar. Toss it together. Dump it in the pan. Pat, pat, pat until it sticks together. Even out the thickness and the side coverage. Nothin to it!
June 8th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Hi Kara — Actually, it says 5 minutes was all it took me, and I agree, 15 would be pretty ridiculous! But that’s a great idea about crushing the graham cracker crumbs yourself–I managed to find a box of just the crumbs and used that for this one, though.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Thank you for the inspiration! I made the pie this weekend and it was great. I doubled the recipe and made a monster pie and while the crust was a touch thick it was still fabulous. I also did a quick meringue (sp?) with the egg whites that were left over which was fun and festive. (And man the pie took a lot of those key limes. They are so little!!!)
June 18th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I made the delicious pie for a wedding last week. It was a total hit. Voilà the result: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/560562078_93403b63ba.jpg
September 17th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Hi
Very interesting information! Thanks!
G’night
April 1st, 2008 at 3:11 pm
When fresh key limes are not available I find that the best alternative is Joe and Nellie’s Key Lime juice. Most supermarkets carry it. I also like to make whipped cream to top it with instead of meringue.
June 14th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I made the pie this afternoon for a bbq this evening. It’s chilling in the fridge now, and I can’t wait to cut into it!
BTW, I found key limes (via Mexico
at the local farmer’s market for only 38 cents a pound – much cheaper than I expected. It took about a pound and a half to get a half cup of juice, but it was fun making this pie.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:25 am
What a compliment Cathy, thanks for the reference, and don’t downplay the results by making a comparison to my pies. The fresh egg yolks and zest in the crust could easily compensate for the use of Persian limes. I always recommend using FRESH Persians when key limes are not available (not a plug, but we sell them here at the bakery). Bottled juice is highly recommended when stripping paint or removing rust, NOT in food. I also agree with Martha, all of our 10″ pie crusts are hand (finger) made.
By the way, I get requests for KLP recipes all the time, if you don’t mind I’d like to include this URL when replying. Again, thanks much, say hello next time you’re here and next time you’re in the mood to make another one, the key limes are on me.