Key Lime Pie
(Traditional Key West)
 

Crust
Mix Graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until sugar is dissolved so the crust isn't gritty. Press firmly to form a crust in a pie pan.

Filling
Beat eggs and sweetened condensed milk together then add the lime juice and pour into the crust. The juice will "cook" the eggs.

Meringue
Beat the egg whites in mixer on high speed until there are soft peaks. Add the vanilla and continue beating a few more minutes until the peaks are stiff and stand up by them selves. Spread the meringue over the pie with a spatchla and make sure to seal the edges with the meringue.

Bake
Bake for 12 minutes at 350° until meringue peaks are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about an hour. Refrigerate and serve. Some of the syrup will leak from under the meringue. This is ok.

This is what a genuine Key Lime Pie looks like. A real Key Lime Pie has meringue made from the egg whites so there’s no waste. The yokes are in the filling. A real Key Lime Pie requires no cooking because the lime juice “cooks” the eggs along with the Magnolia sweetened condensed milk and yokes. There are just 3 ingredients in the filling that are mixed together and poured into a graham cracker crust for a real Key Lime Pie. The only cooking required is 12 minutes in the oven to brown the tips of the meringue. Don’t be fooled by commercial pies. They all use whipped cream for the top because meringue shrinks too fast to store.