Pie!

I know, I know, I said I'd post this days ago. I got busy. You'll recover, and it was worth the wait, truly.

Ready for key lime pie? OK, let's get goin'!

First, you need to find your camera. Realize batteries are dead in camera, making photo-blogging impossible. Charge batteries. Fall asleep, wake in the evening, decide pie can wait until tomorrow.

Whew, this cooking can be complicated stuff!

The next morning, go to a bead show with your Mum. Pay special attention to the lack of air-conditioning in the stuffy enclosed space with ultra-bright, ultra-hot spot lighting.

Lunch at the-best-Thai-restaurant-anywhere-and-you-won't-convince-me-otherwise.

Ahem, excuse me, are you finished dilly-dallying?? Because really, I think I've been more than patient, here.

One more thing - make sure to anger the Evil Genius by informing him that he actually has to clean up the mess he made in his own room, and you aren't helping him!

Now we're ready.

The cast:

For the crust:

16 graham Crackers
3 Tbsp sugar
¼ pound butter, melted

For the filling:

4 large egg yolks
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup key lime juice
2 tsp grated lime peel, green only (skip this bit if you are using bottled juice – it doesn’t hurt the pie to do without)
Whipping cream for garnish

Let's get a move on, people are clamoring for pie! OK, maybe not clamoring, but they do seem to be keen on the idea.

For the crust:

Combine ingredients and press into 9” pie plate. Bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly brown. Cool.
- OR -
Buy a ready-made crust at the grocery store because...why not?

Guess which one I did.

For the filling:

Summon the Evil Genius from his exile in the pit of despair...er...room (which still isn't clean)...and bring light and joy into his life once more by asking him if he'd like to help make a pie.

Now that all is right with the world, beat the egg yolks until thick and light yellow, but don’t over-beat them - for heaven's sake, don't over-beat them, or you'll have...umm...actually, I have no idea what you'll have because I've never over-beaten them, but I'm sure it'll be a disaster of epic proportions, so just don't do it. OK?

See? Fluffy, yellow, not over-beaten:

Right, turn off the mixer and add the condensed milk.

Mix on low, adding half the lime juice.

Once the juice is incorporated, add the rest, and the zest (if you're using it, which I haven't yet, but hey, it's your pie).

Mix until blended. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes.

Chill completely, garnish with whipped cream. You know what? I've never garnished mine. It doesn't hang around long enough for garnishment. It didn't even hang around long enough for a photograph! Poor pie - it doesn't stand a chance against the ravenous T and his key-lime-pie-crazed rampages.

I need to go clean pie filling off the ceiling, now.