KEY-LIME-PIE(D)          USENET Cookbook          KEY-LIME-PIE(D)

KEY LIME PIE

     KEY-LIME-PIE - Traditional lime pie dessert from the Florida
     Keys

     This very easy custard pie originated in the Florida Keys in
     the 1800's when fresh ingredients other than the local limes
     were hard to come by.  See the notes for information on some
     of the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS (One 8-inch pie)
     3         eggs
     14 oz     condensed milk (one standard can)
     4 oz      Key Lime juice
               sugar
     1         Graham cracker pie crust

PROCEDURE
          (1)  Separate the eggs.  You'll be whipping the whites,
               so put them in a large enough bowl.

          (2)  Combine the egg yolks, the condensed milk, and the
               juice, and stir until thoroughly combined.  The
               acidity of the juice thickens the milk and eggs
               into a custard.

          (3)  Add a pinch of sugar to the egg whites, and beat
               them until stiff but not dry.

          (4)  Spoon the custard into the pie crust and even it
               out.

          (5)  Spoon the beaten egg whites on top of the custard
               and even it out so it looks pretty.

          (6)  Chill before serving.  If you like, run the pie
               under a hot broiler for a minute until the egg
               whites are slightly browned.  (This is primarily
               for appearance, it doesn't affect the flavor
               much.)

NOTES
     Everybody in the Florida Keys seems to have a variant of
     this recipe.  It shows up on postcards, place mats, lime
     juice bottles, and guide books.  Some people fold a little
     of the beaten egg white into the custard to make it lighter.
     Some put sweetened whipped cream on top rather than egg
     white.  Some use two or four eggs.

     Traditionally, this pie is made from the juice of the Key
     lime, a small yellow citrus fruit quite different from the
     larger and more familiar Persian lime.  Key limes are very
     sensitive to cold and in the U.S. have never been grown
     above the very southern tip of Florida.  Bad weather and
     disease have killed off so many of them that the only
     remaining grove is a private one on one of the Keys, so you
     cannot buy Key lime juice in the U.S. any more.  Key limes
     are still grown widely in South America and probably else-
     where on other continents.

     There is something called "Key West lime juice" sold in pint
     bottles which everybody uses instead now, which seems to be
     regular lime juice slightly concentrated.  It's widely
     available in Florida and occasionally elsewhere in the U.S.
     It's also available via mail order from Key West Aloe, tele-
     phone +1 305 294 5592 or 800-327-5866.  In a pinch, you can
     substitute regular lime juice, though it doesn't produce
     quite the bright yellow custard that traditionalists like.
     You may have to use extra juice, because Persian limes are
     less acidic than Key limes.

RATING
     Difficulty: easy.  Time: 20 minutes preparation, 1-2 hours
     chilling.  Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR
     John Levine
     Interactive Systems Corp, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
     johnl@ima.isc.com
     From: hds@fred (David Scarbro)
     Newsgroups: mod.recipes
     Subject: RECIPE: Kolachki (Russian cookies)
     Date: 10 Jan 86 03:46:20 GMT
     Organization: Integrated Solutions, Inc.  Boulder, Colorado
     Approved: reid@glacier.ARPA

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