We are not pie people. We’re Dominican, and pies aren’t a thing over there. In fact, my folks were introduced to pie here in the U.S. Luckily, while I do consider myself Dominican, I am American by default. I am forever trying to tie American culture with our Dominican heritage and most of the time, I fail. They’re just not used to those kinds of things; like that one time where I tried to have a “traditional” Thanksgiving dessert by adding a pie to the dinner table. It did not go over well, but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying such desserts.
My folks were away for the past two weeks, leaving my sister and I to hold our own. It was fun and exciting to be “living alone” for two weeks, especially since we aren’t kids anymore. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen while they were gone, both messing around and actually cooking meals. I took the helm, making dinner several times for us when I wasn’t working. I even butchered (like, really butchered) a whole chicken on my own! I took advantage of the fact that they were gone to make stuff I’d been dying to eat.
Key lime pie has always sounded delicious to me. The older I got, the more I found I wanted to try it. It was number two on my grand list of desserts to try, but I ended up making that first. I saw this recipe somewhere on the internet the other day and was inspired. Like most of my decisions lately, this one began with a “fuck it.” It’s one of the ways I’ve been going about my decisions lately; considering I tend to procrastinate things I really wanna do. With that said, I made the pies.
I don’t know about you, but things in jars are just ten times more adorable. I have a few jars in my possession already but they’re all being used for other stuff. This meant I had to buy more jars; a labor of love, even if it may have hurt my pocket a little bit. I went to Sur la Table for the very first time, and I absolutely loved it! I went to the only one in the city and immediately fell in love upon walking in. I gotta be honest, I had been avoiding this trip for the longest because I knew I was gonna love it. The worst thing is going shopping with basically zero dollars, so I put it off as long as I could. I’m glad I went because I will no doubt will be back (with actual dollars in my pockets) to buy all of the things.
Jars in hand, it was pie time. This recipe is super simple and straightforward. I halved it so I could make just two jars. I’m the only dairy/pie eating fiend here, so the less the better. I tried looking for smaller cans of sweetened condensed milk but I couldn’t locate a can, so I used half of a regular can. After 15 minutes in the oven, and two and a half long hours of cooling and chilling, I got to try this pie for the first time. It is SO GOOD. The lime offsets the sweetness from the sweetened condensed milk, and the salty-ish crust adds crunch and a change of flavor.
I went to town on one of the jars immediately, and am holding on to the other one. My favorite thing about this dessert is the jar. It’s portable, meaning it’s perfect for picnics and romantic desserts for two. Or you could eat them both; no one’s around and I won’t tell 😉
- Crust:
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about three graham cracker rectangles)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Filling:
- 7oz sweetened condensed milk (from a 14oz can)
- 1-2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 1-3 limes, depending on how juicy they are)
- 1 egg yolk
- Topping:
- 1-2 cups heavy cream
- 1-3 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lime zest and lime slices for garnish (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the empty jars on a baking sheet.
- For the crust: crush the graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin, or run the crackers through your food processor. Add the sugar and salt, and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and mix until moistened. Divide the graham cracker mixture equally between the jars. Do not compress the crust into the jars as you would a regular graham cracker crust; it’ll be difficult for the crust to come out of the jar with a spoon. Set aside.
- For the filling: zest and juice your limes in a medium sized bowl. Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir. Once combined, whisk in the egg yolk until mixture is homogenized.
- Divide the filling equally among the jars and bake on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool jars on a rack for about 30 minutes, then move to the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until completely chilled.
- Once chilled, make the whipped cream by mixing the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until soft-medium peaks form. Top the pies with the cream, and garnish right before serving.
Key Lime Pies in Jars for Two adapted from Kitchen Treaty
