In 2006, both the Florida House and Senate passed a law declaring the Key Lime Pie as the “official state pie of Florida”.
We actually tasted it during our trip to Florida, specifically – the one you see in the photo – at the Starlite diner in Daytona Beach.
The pie takes its name from the small Key West limes, more aromatic than common Persian limes, and from the yellow juice.
The filling is typically yellow due to the egg yolks that are simply mixed with the ingredients without cooking: condensed milk and lime juice indeed.
It can be served topped with meringue (the traditional Conch Republic* version), with whipped cream or in a pie crust or graham cracker crust, or without crust.
The Key Lime Pie likely derives from the “Magic Lemon Cream Pie” recipe that was published in a promotional pamphlet by Borden, then the largest U.S. dairy producer, in 1931, as one of many recipes to promote their Eagle Brand condensed milk.
What follows is the recipe with pie crust accompanied by meringue.
Find more recipes with pie crust base on the blog:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5/8 cups butter
- 2 tsp sugar
- 6 tbsp water (cold)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 2/3 cups sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 lime (zest)
Tools
- 1 Pie pan
Steps
For the pie crust: mix the flour, with the sugar and the cold butter cut into pieces.
Add the water.
Form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
For the filling: beat the egg yolks.
Incorporate the condensed milk and lime zest, stirring until smooth.
The filling will become slightly thicker and gain some volume.
Add the lime juice, stirring.
The mixture will thicken.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust spread in a baking dish.
Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and cool at room temperature.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving with cream and/or meringue.
*What is the Conch Republic?
The Conch Republic is a whimsical micronation formed in the southernmost part of Florida.
The term “Conch Republic” generally refers to “all the Florida Keys, or that geographic subdivision of land that falls within the legally defined boundaries of Monroe County, Florida, north to ‘Skeeter’s Last Chance Saloon’ in Florida City, Dade County, Florida, with Key West as the capital of the micronation and all territories north of Key West referred to as “The Northern Territories”.
The Conch Republic celebrates Independence Day every April 23 as part of a week-long festival involving numerous Key West businesses.
