Icebox Key Lime Pie (Makenna's Version)
From my grandmother's recipe box to yours
Notes from the trenches of book tour planning:
Hello everyone! PAID AND UNPAID! This recipe is for YOU!
I am writing to let you know that I will YES be going on book tour in the spring. Soon, there will be a cover reveal. And after, there will be much rejoicing! And pre-selling. But in the meantime, there is THIS FREE RECIPE.
Before you ‘at’ me about a summer recipe in a fall season, one of our RecipeKick chefs, Olivia made BOTH versions right before one of the hurricanes in Florida (testing double-ly for me since I can’t get these ingredients in France. ALL THE CHAGRIN). She and her family gleefully ate BOTH VERSIONS of this ‘sunshine-in-a-pie’ for a couple days and it brought all the joy.
SO THIS IS ME SAYING MAKE THE FREAKING PIE IN WINTER! :D
For as long as I can remember, my grandmother made this key lime pie. She’s no longer with us, but every year I was in Door County, WI or in Missouri in her dated kitchen, this recipe was the go to. The four simple ingredients were never memorized by her, something i always found curious.
I would watch her painstakingly pull out the card every time she’d make it. Carefully measuring each ingredient. Achingly slow, for a quick whisk pie. She was a nervous woman, who spent much of her time rearranging objects by a few centimeters and swishing her finger tips together to move energy around. I once made the pie for her, and didn’t measure the ingredients exactly and she could literally taste the difference. Which to me, was an improvement, and to her a travesty.
I remember her taking the first bite and looking at me aghast, while she poked at it with a fork and tried to ascertain what had happened. “It’s…different”. she said. “It is, you’re correct”. She was particular in her peculiar-ness.
My mother copied the recipe in the 90s or so, and placed it into her own recipe box.
(That’s the photo you see here)
I myself, have finally memorized ‘the recipe’. So to speak. And have made a few additions that make a big difference.
Use an ‘oreo’ cooking crust instead. And make sure you zest some lime over the top of the pie. And a berry coulis makes for a marvelous addition, and completes the perfection.
And no, it’s not healthy or organic or whatever. BUT IT IS EASY AND DELICIOUS AND UNMATCHED IN THAT SCORE! Just maybe don’t make it every week? I usually make it twice a summer.
AND I did come up with an alternative for cool whip for all you folks who umm…hate…chemicals. WHICH I GET! I do live in France after all.
Icebox Key Lime Pie (Makenna’s Version)
Ingredients:
For the Filling:
1 can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice (I swear it’s actually better than fresh in this pie, unless of course you can get actual key limes)
1 cup Full-Fat Sour Cream (I like Daisy)
1 cup Whipped Topping (I use CoolWhip classic, or TruWhip, which is *more natural*. I KNOW! I KNOW! But it’s my go to recipe for this)
OR IF YOU PREFER AND ARE UNDERSTANDABLY ANTI-COOL WHIP substitute: 3/4 cup Cream Cheese, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/8 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, mixed well with hand mixer for about 2 minutes. Make sure to add about 2-3 extra tablespoons of key lime juice too.
Crust and Finishing:
1 chocolate cookie crust (like Oreo or an off-brand, you do you)
1 lime, for zesting
For coulis (optional):
A cup or two of berries of choice
2 tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
Approach:
First of all, this couldn’t be an easier recipe without the coulis. The coulis makes it almost the easiest recipe. You can skip it though.
Make the Coulis first:
When it comes to a Key Lime Pie, I am utterly coulis optional. I do this when I have raspberries or blueberries or *whatever* berries lying around. But I don’t find this necessary per se.
What I love about this coulis method, you don’t have to de-stem anything!
Simply put berries and sugar in pot, turn on medium-low heat, let the stuff melt into a slurry, let it thicken slightly, then strain. VOILA! (You can bring back to a pot and simmer more for a thicker version, I prefer it thinner)
For the pie:
Simply whisk the ingredients together. And pour in. VOILA!
Put in a fridge for a few hours or overnight.
To serve:
Top with lime zest and a drizzle of coulis. Enjoy!