Florida key lime pie
Instructions:
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It is difficult to find a real Key lime in Florida today. The "real Key lime" was the lime of Key West; Key lime juice from Florida is available in bottles in many specialty food stores. The tree itself is not native to Florida and, according to Raymond Sokolov, in his Fading Feast, it is a citrus tree that originated in Malaysia or eastern India. How and when the seeds were transported to the New World is pure conjecture, but the limes spread across the West Indies to Mexico and to the Florida Keys. The truth is that when you order a Key lime pie today in a restaurant, you are not getting the real thing. At any rate, this is a recipe that has been used for generations in Florida and is made with sweetened condensed milk, the convenience milk that gained wide use during and after the Civil War.
- 3 eggs, separated;
- 1⁄2 cup Key lime juice, including the pulp, or the juice and pulp of any available limes;
- 1⁄4 teaspoon grated lime rind;
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk;
- 1 baked 9-inch pie shell;
- Whipped cream for garnish.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Combine the lime juice, rind, and condensed milk, and beat into the egg yolks. Whip the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the lime mixture until marbled, not completely mixed. Pour filling into the pie shell. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until filling is just set. Chill. Before serving, garnish with whipped cream.