Key lime pie is my absolute favorite summer dessert!  It is light and refreshing, and provides a tart and tangy finale to any grilled meal.  Using Key lime juice from a bottle and eliminating the meringue topping makes this a fast and simple summer option.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

To make the crust, combine in a medium mixing bowl:

 

1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer cookie or pretzel crumbs (break them up a bit, put them in the food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs – just don’t use sourdough pretzels –they’re way too hard!)

1/2 cup melted butter (or full-fat butter substitute like Smart Balance)

1/4 cup sugar

 

Mix well and press crumb mixture on bottom and up sides of glass pie plate.

 

To make the filling, stir together in a medium bowl until blended:

 

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup Key lime juice (fresh squeezed or bottled, if you can find it)

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt (1/8 teaspoon)

Pour mixture into crust. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.  Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve.

Top each slice with:

 

Whipped cream, whipped topping or vanilla ice cream

 

Garnish with:

 

Lime slices dipped in sugar

You can also triple the filling ingredients and divide evenly between two crusts, one pretzel and one vanilla wafer (this will also make much fuller pies).  Makes eight servings per pie.

© Nicole Wiese, 2009.  All Rights Reserved.