Key Lime Pie (with pictures)

I've previously posted a recipe for Key Lime Pie on the blog, but in the time since then, I've spiced it up and perfected it (well, in my humble opinion :p).

Cooking is a collaborative effort, and I find that often just reading through a recipe can be very daunting. My favourite recipes to follow have always been the ones that have step by step pictures, so at least I can see if my mixture is too lumpy, or too runny, or if something else has gone obviously wrong.

With me being in Egypt, it's impossible to find key limes here. Instead, I use lemons, and if I can find them, one or two larger limes. So technically, it's a Key Lime Pie, done Egyptian style. **note, the size of the lemons here are the same size as key limes, so the measurements are not affected - only the colouring**

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (12 to 15 key limes - depending on size) 4 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 egg yolks, 2 egg whites
1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 packs vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup biscuits
1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

• Preheat oven to about 170 Celsius.
• Crumble your biscuits. There are a few ways to do this. If you have vanilla wafers with cream, make sure you mix up the wafers with the biscuits. I used a blender to crumble mine; if you don't have a blender on hand throw them into a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. 

• Most recipes will tell you here to use 3 tablespoons sugar, and mix in with your biscuits. Because I used wafers, I cut back the sugar to 1.5, as the wafers are already quite sweet. So mix your 1.5 spoons of sugar in with your biscuit mix. 

• Add the melted butter to your biscuits, and mix together until well mixed and slightly sticky. I melt the butter right before I use it, and I melt it in the glass pie dish that I'll use. This way I can grease the dish at the same time as melting the butter, kill two birds with one stone. 

• Press the biscuit mix into a pie pan (roughly 9 inches), and up the sides for the crust. Make sure you spread it evenly. It's easiest to start from the center and press out towards the sides. Bake for roughly 10-15 min., until slightly browned.  

The best pie crust I have ever made!

• While your pie crust is cooking, prepare the filling. Start with zesting your limes, you'll need the zest off of about 5 limes. 

• Cut your limes in half, and juice them. Strain out the bits and pips 

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and lime zest until the mixture is slightly green. Add the condensed milk and your lime juice, mix well. Set mixture aside until your crust is cooled. 

• Once your crust has cooled, add your filling. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the centre is solid but wobbles like jelly. 

• Remove your pie from the oven and let cool to room temp. Once cooled, refrigerate for three hours or until solid. 

And the end result! Bon appetit!