Ever since the weather has been getting warmer and the days getting longer, I have been having a serious hankering for Key Lime pie! I was satisfying this craving by periodically indulging in key lime pie ice cream from Handel’s Ice cream shop. As the summer progressed, the hankering for real key lime pie only grew stronger. I had no other choice but to make one. I took this pie craving as a sign from the universe, because if you remember baking pie was one of  the items on my summer bucket list. Not only would I get the pie I’d been craving for weeks. I’d also tackle one of the items on my summer bucket list, so it is a win/win situation. 

Once I had made up my mind that baking the pie had to be done and had to be done soon. I set out on a mission to find the perfect recipe for key lime pie. I scrolled through Pinterest until I couldn’t see straight. I read countless recipe reviews, this resulted in my normal state of analysis paralysis. I had too many choices and couldn’t decide on one. I turned off the computer and consulted my own cookbook library. I ended up finding a recipe in my America’s Test Kitchen Family baking book.  Whenever I am baking a recipe for the first time I use recipes from this book. America’s Test Kitchen’s recipes are always very well-tested and easy to follow, and everything always tastes delicious. 

With my recipe picked out I was ready to bake my first key lime pie! I enlisted the support of my baking partner in crime, because baking is just more fun with friends, and we did have so much fun baking this pie. I did break one of my baking rules, I didn’t read the entire recipe before baking. Had I done so I would have known that filling needs at list two hours of chilling time before it can be served. That turned out to be okay, we just use the time to catch up with each other over mimosas. 

I’ll admit I was hoping for a prettier pie, my crust did stick a little to the pie plate. What it lacked in attractiveness it more than made up for in deliciousness. It was exactly what I had been craving. The perfect mix of tart and sweet along with the cool creaminess that makes for the perfect dessert on a hot summer day. 

I won’t say that I’ve mastered this recipe yet. However, I love it so much that I am sure I’ll be making it at least one more time before the summer is over. With my goal being to bake three pies this summer, I am one down with two to go.