Key Lime Pie

I spent my early youth growing up in Key West. That was a very long time ago when there was only a small native population and the navy base outnumbered it by far. No one locked their front doors; crime just didn't exist. I have wonderful memories of those days and Key Lime Pie is one of them. For those who didn't know, a key lime is different than the Persian lime you find in the grocery store. A key lime is very small and is more yellowish in color than green. And, they have a much more sour taste than a Persian lime. They are fabulous. The history of the Key Lime Pie is an interesting one. The island of Key West only became connected to the mainland in the 1930's by the overland bridge system. Prior to that there was no fresh milk, refrigeration or ice. The Key Lime Pie was born of those days. Traditionally, canned sweetened condensed milk was used with the sour key limes that were so readily available. I have had to make some hard choices for the ingredients in this version and try to keep the final product as close to the real thing as possible. What I came up with is a version that looks, tastes and smells like a real key lime pie. It is tart and creamy just like it should be. As a native "conch" I cannot say this is a real key lime pie because it lacks the sweetened condensed milk but is sure is a wonderful luscious and rich substitute to indulge in at your Super Bowl party. I hope you enjoy.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1 Tbsp. Splenda

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

1 cup Splenda

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. key lime juice

Preheat oven to 350'

Prepare the crust by combining the almond flour, Splenda, granulated sugar and melted butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it is a sandy consistency. Firmly press into a pie pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside to cool.

Whisk together the cream, milk, Splenda and egg yolks until smooth and the Splenda is dissolved. Add the key lime juice and whisk until combined. Cover the edges of the cooled crust with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Pour the key lime mixture into the cooled crust and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and continue to bake for about 10 to 20 more minutes or until the center just jiggles slightly.

Cool on rack and cover pie with plastic wrap. Refrigerate to set for 24 to 48 hours. The filling will set up completely. Garnish with whipped cream if desired before serving.

Nutrition Facts

8 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 243.9

Total Fat 22.4 g

Saturated Fat 8.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g

Monounsaturated Fat 4.3 g

Cholesterol 139.0 mg

Sodium 13.9 mg

Potassium 45.5 mg

Total Carbohydrate 11.9 g

Dietary Fiber 2.0 g

Sugars 3.0 g

Protein 2.6 g