There are two desserts I can’t resist — crème brule and Key lime pie. If they are on the menu, I will be ordering dessert. Key lime pie is often on restaurants’ summer menus.
Key lime pie is the official dessert of the state of Florida. Here’s a shocker: Key lime pie may have had its beginning in New York City! There is an ongoing controversy surrounding the origin of this delectable dessert.
It all started when Stella Parks published a cookbook that included diving into the pie’s history. While she was researching her book, Parks consulted with Key West historian Tom Hambright and discovered that a local recipe for the pie couldn’t be found earlier than 1949. Parks found a nearly identical recipe that dates back to 1931, but used lemons instead of limes. It had the same idea of a sweetened condensed milk pie. However, this dessert wasn’t created in the Sunshine State, but by the Borden condensed milk company in New York City.
There is an old story floating around Key West that the pie was invented in 1890, before the Borden recipe, by a woman known as “Aunt Sally.” She reportedly created the pie in the kitchens of Key West’s Curry Mansion, where she had access to sweetened condensed milk. Even though this could never be verified, there are historical documents proving that there was really an “Aunt Sally,” and she did have access to sweetened condensed milk before 1930. It is also believed she gave the Borden company the original recipe.
Whether the pie originated in Key West or New York really doesn’t bother me one way or the other. All I know is that it is delicious. Today I have several versions of different recipes based on this delicious dessert. I hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
QUICK & EASY KEY LIME PIE
8 egg yolks
2 (14-ounce) cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
7 ounces Key lime juice
1 (9-inch deep-dish graham cracker pie crust)
Whipped topping
Beat egg yolks until pale. Add sweetened condensed milk and lime juice to yolks; beat well and let stand for 5 minutes. Pour into pie crust, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until outside edges are set. Let cool on a wire rack and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Top with whipped topping.
(If using fresh limes, add some zest to the mixture and also on top of the whipped cream when serving.)
PRALINE KEY LIME PIE
½ stick butter
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup brown sugar
2 cans Eagle Brand condensed milk
8 egg yolks
1 (7-ounce) bottle Key lime juice (You may use fresh)
Zest of 1 lime
1 deep-dish graham cracker crust
Cool Whip
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in skillet and add pecans. Cook for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and melt. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Pour over bottom of crust. Beat egg yolks until pale. Add condensed milk, lime juice and zest of lime. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. Pour over the praline layer, and bake for 20 minutes until edges are set. Cool on wire rack, and refrigerate before serving. Top with Cool Whip.
KEY LIME SUGAR COOKIES
1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Key lime zest
2½ tablespoons Key lime juice
Glaze:
¾ cup powdered sugar
1-1 ½ tablespoons Key lime juice
Lime zest to sprinkle on top
Line a light-colored cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt, and mix until combined. In another bowl, combine the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, lime juice and zest to mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix until combined. Use a cookie scoop to place the dough in tablespoon scoops on the baking sheet. You should have about 20. Refrigerate the cookie dough for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once dough is chilled, roll the dough quickly into smooth balls. Bake for 7-8 minutes. (Do not overbake!) Allow to bake on cookie sheets for a few minutes before you move to a wire rack for cooling. Once cooled, mix the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoonful of the lime juice to form a glaze. Use additional lime juice if needed for drizzling consistency. Sprinkle with lime zest and allow to set so the icing will harden.
- Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
