Growing up the Beach Boys were my favorite band. Period. We have numerous recordings of me singing 'Surfin' Safari' and 'California Girls' (with an 'i', rather then Katy Perry's version that uses a 'u'). My mom worked for a local radio station as an auditor when I was about 6 and I still remember getting to go into the giant room that held all the tapes (yes, that long ago). The radio guy would let me pick out the next song to play, and I always chose the Beach Boys. However, I don't think I ever fully appreciated their song 'Kokomo' until I traveled with my family to the Florida Keys several Decembers ago. The HGTV Dream Home was located in Islamorada, which is about half way between Key Largo and Key West. Since missing out on touring the Dream Home in Tyler, TX several years before, we promised we would tour the next one located anywhere near where we were living. In a spur of the moment idea, we decided to drive down for a weekend. Only a few weeks before Christmas, we headed down South on a Friday after work. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and it was one of the best family trips I can remember. Staying Friday in Key Largo, and Saturday in Key West we ate at several restaurants that claimed to serve 'The Keys best Key Lime Pie'. Of course we had to try them all! However, it wasn't until we got home and I was telling my coworkers about all these great pies that I actually learned of the best Key Lime Pie recipe. Theresa, one of my coworkers, passed along a really simple recipe that blew all of the others out of the water. The secret? Ginger Snaps. It's as if the steel drums and saxophone from the famous song start playing as soon as you take a bite.
Recipe: Key Lime Pie
Makes: 1 pie
Recipe originated from: Theresa Murley
Compliments: A tropical drink and palm tree.
Ingredients:
crust
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 crackers)
- ½ cup coconut
- ½ cup dried ginger snap cookie crumbs
- 1/3 cup melted butter
filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup key lime juice(about 12 key limes)
Directions:
to make the crust:
1. Combine together dry ingredients.
2. Pour butter over dry ingredients, and press into pie pan.
to make the filling:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients.
2. Pour filling into the crumb crust.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for several hours in refrigerator.
So there you have it! The crust is what puts it up and above. It's simply amazing. So use fresh limes if you can find them, but be aware that it's a bitch to squeeze them all. I usually use bottled Key lime juice, and it's just as good. You can find it in almost every grocery store, usually on the aisle with the juices. I also always use the ginger snaps that come in the brown paper bag.. I can't remember the brand, but they are on the cookie aisle. A funny story about Key limes, actually. One afternoon my best friend calls me and tells me she is craving Key Lime Pie, but not the frozen kind. She wants to make it, but can't find Key limes. Can she just use regular limes? I had to explain that the flavor of Key Lime Pie comes from the limes. Good times.
So I have about 4 cookbooks on my radar right now. Hello, Cupcake!, What's New, Cupcake?, Classic Southern Desserts, and The Flavor Bible. Obviously I can't buy them all at once, but I am going to try and get them all in the next couple of months. Even with my employee discount at work trying to buy all four would be outrageous. The Flavor Bible is around $40 on its own!
I'm currently on the hunt for a good pimento cheese recipe. I'll let you guys know how that one goes.
Abby xx
