Key Lime Pie with Candied Citrus Slices

My first slice of Key Lime Pie was in college and was made by one of my roommates. That's right; once upon a time, I was not the resident baker! Sure, I occasionally baked cookies for my "long distance" boyfriend, but a pie? They're impressive. 

While I tend to gravitate towards chocolate desserts, come the warmer months I catch myself craving fruit and citrus treats. Key lime pie is now one of my favorites. It's cool, creamy with the perfect balance of tart, sweet, and subtle saltiness from the graham cracker crust. (Garland prefers an Oreo crust, another excellent choice.) No matter the context, a slice never fails to remind of senior year: all of us sitting indian-style on the kitchen floor with forkfuls of pie, laughing and decompressing from the day.

More broadly, key lime pie also reminds me of springtime with it's bright, citrusy flavor and pale green tint. If you've never made it before, you maybe surprised at how little goes into making it. The filling consists of a handful of ingredients: a pinch of salt, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and zest. Depending on if you buy or make the crust from scratch, you're looking at 20-40 minutes total (including prep and bake time!).

It's the perfect simple, yet spectacular dessert.

For my pie bar last month, I decided to do something a little special with the presentation. Rather than topping it with whipped cream or leaving it plain, I decided to candy some lime slices as a topping. Sound scary? I swear the hardest part is slicing the citrus thin and even. Just call it rustic ;)

A rookie mistake I'd like everyone to avoid is choosing to candy limes, as their skin turns brown when heated. Whoops! They were so tasty, though, I couldn't toss them. As an alternative, I recommend using a lemon and/or orange to kick up the color and citrus-ness. (Annie of Annie's Eats candied some blood orange slices for her loaf to give you a better idea of candied citrus potential.) It's a nice little touch that your family and friends are sure to love!

Key Lime Pie with Candied Citrus Slices

Servings: 1 pie (10-12 slices)

Crust
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbsp melted butter
3 Tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt

Filling
1 can (14 ounces) sweet condensed milk
4 egg yolks
¼ cup lime juice (roughly 2 limes)
¼ cup bottled key lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
Pinch of salt

Candied Citrus
1-2 citrus of choice (lime, lemon, orange)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

• Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir together. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and up sides of pie pan. Bake the crust in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned, this will set the crust. Remove and let cool. While the crust is in the oven make the filling. 
• Lower oven to 325. Combine condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juices, zest, and sugar. Pour mixture into the baked and cooled crust. Bake pie in a 325 degree oven until the center is set, roughly 15-17 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. 
• While pie is baking, begin to prepare the candied citrus: You can choose to keep the citrus whole or cut it in half lengthwise. With a serrated knife, cut very thin slices. In a large saucepan, combine water and sugar, stirring and heating until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add citrus slices in a single layer. Simmer for 20 minutes; halfway through, flip slices to ensure that both sides are candied. Remove from heat and store in a container with remaining sugar until ready to use.
• Lay citrus slices on cooling pie in whatever pattern you choose. Once the pie is cooled, cover it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for about 5 days.

Notes: Adapted from Martha Stewart, candied citrus from Annie's Eats