KEY LIME PIE

SERVES 6–8

Key lime pie is a classic American dessert. I love the zing of the lime with the sweetness of the cream.

butter, for greasing

1 sheet good-quality sweet shortcrust pastry (bought or homemade), enough to line a 24 cm (9½ inch) flan (tart) tin

300 ml (10½ fl oz) thin (pouring) cream

FILLING

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) fresh lime juice

2 x 4 g (¹/₈ oz) gelatine sheets (titanium strength)

3 egg yolks

400 g (14 oz) tin sweetened condensed milk

1½ teaspoons lime zest

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Lightly grease a loose-based 24 cm (9½ inch) flan (tart) tin.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. Line the flan tin with the pastry and trim the edges. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. It is important to rest the shell or it will shrink.

Prick the base a few times with a fork to prevent blistering and rising. Line the tart case with baking paper and uncooked rice and blind bake for 12 minutes, then remove the paper and rice and bake for a further 5 minutes to dry and colour. Leave to cool before adding the filling.

For the filling, warm the lime juice in a small saucepan. Soak the gelatine in water to soften, squeeze out the excess water and add to the lime juice and stir until dissolved. Use electric beaters on high speed to beat the egg yolks and condensed milk together in a medium bowl until pale and thick. Add the lime juice mixture and the lime zest to the egg yolks, beating to combine. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.

Whip the cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. To serve, spoon the cream over the pie.

NOTE: Another serving idea is to spoon the lime filling into glass dishes. When set, top with the whipped cream and serve with sponge fingers. It’s easier than making pastry but you would need to change the name to ‘key lime’.