Dreaming of Summer ... and Key Lime Pie !

This week has been a challenge ! Just as February wanes, it seems that winter has grabbed New England by the scruff of its neck and tossed it to the snowbanks !  Our little dirt road is again snow covered and the sounds are all muffled by the blanket of snow that settled on roof, wall, and branches.  It's pretty and all, but my wintertime feel-goods are all used up. I'm dreaming on springtime and warm weather !

Call this binge bake a classic of  'emotional eating' ! Noom WOULD have its say in my brain, as I gathered the ingredients and threw caution to the wind ! This pie is a beauty ! It's also calorie-laden, so have a half slice if that will make you feel better ! That's what I did ! Plus, SB and I gave about half the pie to our family to have as a treat dessert. The pie was gone in three days ... and I only had one complete serving. Is this a case of having one's pie and eating it too ? I think so ... for me, baking and cooking is a release. It is exceedingly helpful when I have people around to whom I can hand off most of the food. I can indulge some, but not have the temptation leftovers sitting too close at hand.

That said, here is how I made this lovely, tart, creamy pie ! Have a party and go for it !

Eggless Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

2- small 14 oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk

1 c. Greek style plain yogurt (2%)

3/4 c. fresh lime juice

1 heaping tbsp. fresh lime zest

12 whole graham crackers (the complete rectangle), crushed

1/3 c. brown sugar, packed firmly

5 tbsp. butter, melted

1 c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. 10X sugar

1 tsp. lime zest

Making the Dessert::

1. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, the yogurt, the lime juice and zest in a large bowl and beat until completely smooth. Cover and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.

3. Combine the crushed grahams, the brown sugar and break the sugar up with a fork. Stir to combine with the crumbs.

4. Add the melted butter and tos to get all the crust ingredients damp with the butter. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Use your fingers to firm the pie sides and the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the bottom of the crust. 

5. Bake in the pre heated oven for 10 minutes, until slightly brown and crisped.

6. remove the pie crust and cool on a rack for several minutes.

7. pour the prepped filling into the warm crust and return to the oven. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake the pie for 15 - 20 minutes. The center of the pie will have just a slight 'wobble'.

8. Remove the baked pie and cool for one hour at room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least three hours.

9. To finish the pie, whip the heavy cream, 10X sugar and lime zest in a deep bowl. Turn the whipped cream into a pastry bag with a piping tip and pipe a pretty rim around the outside edges of the key lime filling. Pipe a center mound, too.

10. Garnish the whipped cream topping with thin slices of lime and a final sprinkle of lime zest. Keep the pie chilled and loosely covered until you serve it.