A fresh and delicious pie to celebrate Spring and St. Patrick’s Day. Makes one pie.
1 cup cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup lime juice
14 oz sweetened condensed milk (canned)
Pinch table salt and cream of tartar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 medium key lime sliced
a few drops green food coloring (optional)
Heat oven to 325 F (165 C). Combine cracker crumbs with butter and sugar. Form crust in pie plate, bake in preheated oven for just five minutes. Set aside and leave to cool.
Separate the eggs as follows: 2 egg whites in one bowl, and 2 yolks and a whole egg in another bowl. In the bowl with the yolks, add the lime juice, condensed milk and green food coloring. Stir and incorporate until smooth. In the other bowl, with the egg whites, beat together with salt and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Combine with other egg mixture. Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until firm. Let cool completely at room temp. Freeze pie for at least five hours, or overnight. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream.