Key Lime Pie

It seems summer is starting to come to a close around here. It still feels like summer during the afternoon, but there is a bit of a cooler crisp air in the mornings. The local public schools and college around town are back in session. Water parks and pools are about to be closed for the year. It's a little sad as I've always loved summer. Don't get me wrong, I do love the cooler weather and seasonal flavors that fall has to offer. But, I will be a little sad to see summer go. If you are like me, than I have a great recipe for you today! We can hold on to summer together with this delicious Key Lime Pie recipe, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

If you've read my blog much, then you probably know I am obsessed with enjoy watching the Food Network. It has inspired my husband and I to get more creative in the kitchen, and we have learned SO much. Several of my savory dishes have been from shows we have watched. (Any Tyler Florence fans? Check back Friday for his delicious fried chicken recipe!!) Almost every single Food Network inspired dessert has come from one of my favorites, The Pioneer Woman. Seriously, I haven't tried anything of hers that was bad. My mother-in-law has made some of her savory dishes as well, everything is great!

I decided to use her recipe to make a Key Lime Pie. I've never made one before, but I really enjoyed it. Sometimes my local grocery has them, but I actually couldn't find key limes. So, for any strict adherents, this is technically not key lime pie. But, whatever you call it, the pie was perfectly sweet, tart, and delicious! I would recommend letting it sit in the fridge for hours before serving. I waited the very minimum 1 hour, as I was anxious to try it. I thought it was a tad too tart at first. I wasn't sure if it was the limes I used, or what. But, then the next day I tried some, and the tart flavor had seemed to mellow out some, it was the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

I did make a couple changes to her recipe. I used a pre-made graham cracker crust, I think Keebler Ready Crust tastes great! I also just used whipped topping from the store instead of making my own. I have made her sweetened whipped topping before and it is amazing! I just made these couple adjustments to speed up the process a little, it was a busy evening the night I made it. You can see her original recipe to get the ingredients for a homemade crust and topping, if you want. Now on to the good stuff!

Key Lime Pie ingredients:

• Ready Made graham cracker crust
• 1 tbs lime zest
• 1/2 cup lime juice (I needed about 4 small limes)
• 2 whole egg yolks
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
• Whipped topping
• Additional lime zest for garnish (optional)

Key Lime Pie instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Zest 2-3 small limes to get 1 tbs of lime zest, place in bowl

• Add 1/2 cup lime juice

• Mix in egg yolks

• Add sweetened condensed milk
• Mix on high until smooth and thick

• Pour into crust

• Bake 15 mins
• Remove from oven and cool

• Once cooled, refrigerate at least 1 hour (I would recommend several, or even overnight)

Enjoy some Key Lime pie before summer ends! Come back Friday for a tasty savory recipe from Food Network's Tyler Florence. As always, make sure and follow my blog to keep up with my latests posts. You can also follow me on social media to get sneak peeks of upcoming projects, ideas I share from other bloggers, and various other projects I'm working on.