Arthur Schwartz: Key Lime Pie

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Key Lime Pie

Marie only recently sold her life-long house on Captiva, an island off the West Coast of Florida, where she had Key lime trees in her backyard. That's why I always think of her as the world expert on Key Lime Pie. Certainly this recipe should prove that. Did you know that Key limes are yellow, not green? I used them in Marie's very own lime pie recipe. It is the absolute best I have ever had, and I'm not saying that simply because she's my friend. What makes the difference in Marie's recipe is that she uses the zest from the lime's rind and she folds egg whites into the otherwise typical custard base. Bottled Key lime juice is available in some specialty food stores, but I prefer using fresh regular lemon and/or lime juice if you can't get the real thing from a friend in Florida. Please, please, please: Don't put green food coloring in your lime pie. Pale yellow is a very pretty color.

3		eggs, separated

1		14-ounce can condensed milk

1		tablespoon grated lime zest

1/2		cup lime juice

		Dash of salt

1		9-inch homemade graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks well. Add condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Mix well.

In another bowl, beat whites into stiff peaks. Fold into lime mixture.

Pour into pie shell and bake just to set, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve chilled with whipped cream on the side.