Name: Key Lime Pie with Fluffy Meringue
Prep time: 270 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 305 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs, from about 10 full sheets; 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp (138g) granulated sugar, divided; 1 pinch kosher salt; 6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, melted; 4 large eggs, separated; 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk; 1/2 cup key lime juice, from about 20 key limes; 1 tbsp key lime zest, finely grated; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 small edible flower, pesticide-free, optional, for garnish

Key Lime Pie with Fluffy Meringue

4.8 from 322 home cooks Free

A buttery graham crust holds a tart, pale-yellow custard made with key lime juice and condensed milk, and the whole pie wears a tall cloud of toasted meringue. It is sharp, sweet and cold, which is exactly what a sticky Gulf Coast evening calls for.

Prep

4 hr 30 min

Cook

35 min

Total

5 hr 5 min

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

American

Method

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle. Stir the graham crumbs, 3 tbsp (38g) sugar and the salt, then work in the melted butter until the crumbs clump when squeezed.
Step 2: Press the crumbs firmly into a 9-inch fluted pie dish, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack the base and push crumbs up the sides. Bake 10 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker at the rim; leave the oven on.
Step 3: Whisk the 4 egg yolks with the lime zest for a full minute, until pale greenish yellow. Whisk in the condensed milk, then pour in the key lime juice in a steady stream; the mixture thickens noticeably as the acid meets the milk.
Step 4: Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake 15 to 17 minutes, until the edges are set and the center trembles only slightly when you nudge the dish. Cool on a rack 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 3 hours, until firm and fully cold.
Step 5: For the meringue, set a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water and whisk the 4 egg whites, remaining 1/2 cup (100g) sugar and cream of tartar until the mixture reaches 160F, about 4 minutes. A drop rubbed between your fingers should feel smooth, not gritty.
Step 6: Move the bowl to a stand mixer, add the vanilla and whip on high 5 to 6 minutes, until the meringue is glossy, stiff and cool to the touch.
Step 7: Pile the meringue onto the chilled pie and spread it so it touches the crust all the way around, then lift it into peaks and swirls with the back of a spoon. Brown the tips with a kitchen torch, or slide the pie under a hot broiler for 60 to 90 seconds without looking away.
Step 8: Chill 30 minutes more, then slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped between cuts. Add the edible flower just before serving.

Kitchen note

Swiss meringue is cooked over water before it is whipped, so it stays stable and does not weep beads of syrup onto a cold filling the way raw meringue can. That stability is what lets you torch it on a fully chilled pie.