Paula Deens Key Lime Pie

Ms Deen gets all the credit for this recipe. Once I started bringing her recipe Key Lime Pie to get togethers its wiped out first. I have been making this pie for a long time so execution is usually Perfection to Taste.

Key Lime Pie with Meringue Topping
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients
Filling:

3 large egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 prepared 9-inch graham cracker crust



Meringue:

4 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and condensed milk.



Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and cream.



What Ms Deen does not say is the Lime Juice Clabbers the Milk and Cream so mix it only after the other is combined or you mix 3 times as long.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake about 30 minutes or until firm.



Remove pie from oven.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.



In a second bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.



Add the sugar mixture, a little at a time, to the egg whites,
beating between additions. Continue to beat until the sugar dissolves.
Spoon the meringue over the hot pie filling.

Here I pour the entire Meringue over the Pie right out of the oven. Then using a spatula I spread on a angle making sure I have a very good seal of Meringue to crust leaving a heaping, ridiculous amount right in the center. Then after dressing the topping making peaks I just return the pie to the oven AT THE SAME TEMPERATURE to set the topping and apply a light browning to the tips. This really sets the Meringue well.

SECOND WAY............
Torch the meringue to give
it's golden color; or bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve pie warm or at room temperature

The traditional topping is a huge mound of billowy baked meringue. This
should be put on right after you remove the pie from the oven and when the
custard is still hot. This will prevent the meringue from weeping and shrinking.

When you remove the pie from the oven, bump the heat up to 450 while you
prepare the meringue from your reserved egg whites. I use about 1 ounce of
sugar per white. Warm the whites and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved,
then beat on medium speed (not high) until stiff, not dry, peaks form. Pile the
meringue onto the hot custard and spread with the back of a spoon to touch all the
crust edges and form an even layer. Then press the spoon into the meringue and
pull out quickly to form peaks!

Place in the 450 oven and bake until golden brown and the peaks are almost black.



This recipe is from a Text file where I combined several recipes for the Meringue. The way I make my Meringue is the best to a Sell Out Crowd of Key Lime Pie fans. I hope you enjoy a key Lime Pie very soon, Limes are in season. I hope Ms Deen does not fuss at me for posting this as I just Love Her Cooking Style!

*Some of the pictures I made for a visual reference but really didn't have a natural place to insert.