Key Lime Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
1 x 400 g (13 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
250 ml (8 fl oz) whipping or double cream, chilled
2 tbsp caster sugar
lime slices to decorate

Pastry
175 g (6 oz) plain flour
90 g (3 oz) chilled butter, cut into cubes
2 tbsp cold water
* 23 cm (9 in) loose-bottomed fluted flan tin
*baking beans

Method

1. Make the pastry: put the flour into a large bowl, add the butter, and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to make a soft pliable dough.

2. Wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use to line the flan tin.

4. Bake the pastry shell blind (see below) in a preheated oven at 200 C (400 F, Gas 6) for about 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and foil and return the shell to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

5. Mix together the egg yolks, condensed milk, and lime zest. Slowly stir in the lime juice. Pour the filling into the shell and bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling has set and the pastry edge is a golden brown color.

6. Leave to cool, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

7. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, and fold in the sugar. Spread decoratively over the pie. Serve chilled, decorated with lime slices.

Friendly Tip: If you are unsure about your pastry making skills, by all means buy a ready made flan.


Baking the Pastry Blind

*Prick the pastry shell all over with a fork. Press a piece of foil or greaseproof paper into the pastry shell. smoothing it over the bottom and up the side of the shell.

*Fill the Shell with ceramic baking beans, dried pulses, or uncooked rice, and bake in a preheated oven at 200 C ( 400 F, Gas 6) for 10-15 minutes or until browning at the edges.

*Remove the beans and foil and bake for 5 minutes for a part-bake shell, or 15 minutes for a fully baked shell. If the pstry rises during baking, gently press it down with your hand.