Atlantic Lime Pie

Here's a simple and delicious recipe for Atlantic Lime Pie: a lime filled pie topped with whipped cream in a saltine crust. Sort of like a lemon meringue pie, but with lime and whipped cream instead. It's easy, quick, and tasty, plus you're likely to already have the ingredients on hand. (This recipe is adapted from the NPR.org article about Atlantic Beach Pie.)

Crust ingredients:

7 oz/200 g graham crackers and saltines (any combo you like. I used about 2 parts saltines to 1 part graham crackers)

1/2-3/4 cup soft unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C), with the oven rack in the middle position.

Crush the graham and saltine crackers into fine crumbs by placing them in a plastic bag and bashing them with a rolling pin until they're a coarse powder (you could also do this in the food processor, but it's much more fun by hand). Add the sugar and mix (or pulse) to combine. Pour the sweetened crumbs into a medium bowl. Add the soft butter a little at a time until it sticks together almost like a dough (you want it to be quite moist). Put the crust mixture into a 9" (22 cm) pie pan. Using your hands and a measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan. Make sure it's well packed.

Place the pie crust in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before adding the filling (it doesn't need to be completely cold). Don't turn the oven off, you'll need it again.

NOTE: The ratio of saltines to graham crackers is up to you. However, the proportions you use will affect how to garnish the pie. If you use all or mostly graham crackers, a sprinkling of coarse salt on top of the whipped cream balances the sweetness. But if you use all/mostly saltines, the salt will be too much.

Also, the amount of butter you use will change with the humidity. Keep adding it until the crumbs clump together in large pieces. I found that to be almost the full 3/4 cup.

Filling ingredients:

4 egg yolks

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (regular or nonfat)

1/2 cup lime juice (about 3-4 limes)

Directions:

Separate the eggs by passing the yolk from one hand to the other until the white drops away. Save the whites for another purpose.

Thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and mix until well combined.

Pour filling mixture into the mostly cooled crust, and bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 16 minutes, or until the filling has set. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight (if it's not fully chilled it won't slice cleanly and you'll have a huge mess).

Whipped Cream ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp. granulated sugar, or to taste

optional: finely grated lime zest left over from the filling

Coarse sea salt to garnish (if desired)

Directions:

Place the cream, sugar, and zest (if using) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

NOTE: You can also do this by hand with a whisk, or with a hand mixer, this way is just easier and faster.

Top the chilled and uncovered pie with the whipped cream. (You can make it fancy if you want, I just mounded it up in the middle.) Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if you used mostly graham crackers in the crust. For Pi Day decorations, I made some sugar cookies in pi numbers, and placed those around the edge. (The Sugar Cookie Recipe by jlynch13 is great, or use your favorite.) Decorate the pie however you want with with the cookies, or not. It's up to you. Slice and serve. Enjoy! Makes about 8-10 servings.

Happy Pi Day!