I came late to the Key Lime Party...I think I had my first taste of key lime pie when I was 26...which is old by pie standards. We, the chirrens and I, went to sponge off my mom when she had a meeting in Ft. Lauderdale - at one of the functions that we crashed, Key Lime Pie was served and I thought I had eaten a slice of nirvana - if nirvana could be sliced. The people of Ft. Lauderdale were so happy to have my mom and her group there that they showered gifts upon everyone and one of the gifts was the Famous Florida Key Lime Cookbook by Joyce LaFray Young .
This little green paperback cookbook has been practically destroyed over the years - I've probably made every recipe in this book twice...and my all time favorite pie, out of the many that are listed, is the Pier House Key Lime Pie.
This is a tried-and-true-no-fail recipe that will bring you rave reviews. I usually have one of these pies in the freezer during the summer...yes, you can freeze this! Just be sure to let it thaw a bit before serving. It's tart and refreshing and I love the crust - it's not the crust from The Pier House - they use a plain graham cracker crust which I felt an insult to the rich key lime filling! This crust is packed with toasted coconut so it's got that all-over tropical flavor.
There was a bit of drama while baking this pie...our trusty handyman had been here earlier in the day to install a water spigot on the deck - so I could water my plants without having to make 19 trips in and out of the kitchen with a water pitcher. Everything looked great - I watered my plants with the new faucet and hose and then came in and made the pie - did a few dishes - everything was going swimmingly...until literally I was swimming! The pipe under the sink burst with such pressure that the cupboard doors flew open and water came shooting out! It was quite a scene! Of course, the mister was nowhere to be found...as usual. By the time he got home everything was back to normal...as usual.
Just some of the towels that I used to mop up the mess...the silver-lining to my flood is I now have spotless floors! Fortunately none of this interferred with the baking of my pie! Now that would have been a REAL drama!
Key Lime Pie with Coconut-Graham Crust...Adapted from The Famous Florida Key Lime Cookbook, The Pier House Key Lime Pie
Crust:
8 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
10 graham crackers, broken into big pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Heat oven to 325 degrees and adjust oven rack to middle position. Spread the coconut into a 9-inch glass pie plate and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and being careful not to burn. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are coarse crumbs. Put the crumbs into a medium-bowl and add the coconut, sugar and the melted butter. Toss with a fork to combine. Using the same 9-inch glass pie plate, press the crumb mixture into the pie plate and up the sides. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten out the bottom and sides, spreading the crust as evenly as possible. Bake the crust until a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool the crust on a wire rack while making the filling.
Key Lime Filling:
6 eggs, separated
2 cans (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (do not use the fat-free variety...yuck!)
3/4 cup key lime juice
3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and pale yellow in color. Turn off mixer and add sweetened condensed milk. Mix on slow speed. While on low speed add half the lime juice, cream of tartar, then remaining lime juice. Mix until blended. Pour into prepared crust and bake until set, about 10 to 15 minutes, or until center is firm and dry to touch. Freeze for at least 3 hours before topping with meringue.
Meringue:
Heat egg whites in a double boiler with 6 tablespoons sugar, stirring frequently, to 110 degrees. Beat on high speed until they form peaks. Top the frozen pie with meringue and place under a broiler to brown top, about 2 minutes. Return the pie to freezer until serving. Once pie is thoroughly chilled it can be kept in the refrigerator but I keep mine in the freezer and it will keep for a week if wrapped up tightly in plastic wrap. Serves 8. 
"Always look out for Number One and be careful not to step in Number Two." Rodney Dangerfield
