Deep Dish Key Lime Meringue Pie

Citrus is by far one of my favorite flavors. I'm one of those people that actually eats lemons & limes like an orange. I'm aware that this is a very strange habit, but I love it, so deal with it. I love lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, lemon curd, lemonade, lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange... this list goes on as you can see. But today I decided to focus on key lime pie. Key lime pie is an ultimate favorite. And in order for me to like your key lime pie, I need there to be a thick crust with a TART (I mean tart) key lime filling. I also love meringue on lemon pie, so I couldn't just leave that out. When I bake, I try to make a few subtle changes that just make the dish just a little bit better. So instead of doing just a classic graham cracker crust, I bought the gourmet Biscoff Cinnamon Cookies, which make for a crunchier crust, and lend a great flavor to the rest of the pie. I also used only fresh key lime juice. This is the only way, people. Please do it fresh... it makes all the difference! Now here comes my secret component. Just on top of the key lime filling and just below the mountain of toasted meringue, lies a layer of slightly sweetened sour cream. I know this might sound bizarre or it might sound delicious. But this layer provides a great balance of flavors. The creaminess of the sour cream really works well with the tart lime flavor. And since it's a secret, you kind of sit there while eating the pie and think, "What am I tasting". Anyway, I keep rambling on and on, and I promise I'm stopping. But, I really loved this pie, every stinkin' different layer of it. Enjoy :)

A Beauty Shot of that Golden Toasted Meringue

Deep Dish Key Lime Meringue Pie 

For the Crust:

3C Biscoff Cookie Crumbs

1C Sugar

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

For the Key Lime Pie Filling:

2 14oz Cans of Sweetened, Condensed Milk

6 Egg Yolks (save the egg whites for the topping)

1C Fresh Key Lime Juice

3 Limes, Zested

Green Food Coloring (to your liking)

For the Sour Cream Layer:

1C Sour Cream

3T Confectioners’ Sugar

For the Meringue Topping:

6 Egg Whites

½t Cream of Tartar

½C Sugar

Directions:

1. For the Crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a spring form pan with Pam, and set it aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan and bake it for 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven). Remove from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before filling.
2. For the Key Lime Pie Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, egg yolks, and key lime juice until well blended. And then add in the fresh lime zest & food coloring (to you liking). Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the pie filling is set, but still jiggles slightly. Remove the pie from the oven and let the filling cool & set slightly.
3. For the Sour Cream Layer: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spoon this sour cream mixture on top of the key lime filling and smooth it out into a thin, even layer.
4. For the Meringue Topping: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peeks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until stiff. Spread the meringue over the sour cream layer, making sure to seal to the edge of the crust. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or you can broil it for a shorter period of time) until the meringue is golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven and refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before slicing.

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!