Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust (via Magnolia Bakery) | Pie Month

This is the 11th entry in our Month of Pie. Pie Month is a celebration of things we love. Because life is hard, and there should always be more pie. Have a look at the other entries. Really. 

Pie #1 - Lemon Cream Icebox Pie

Pie #2 - Malted Crisp Tart

Pie #3 - Apple Green-Chili Pie with Cheddar Crust and Walnut Streusel

Pie #4 - Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Chocolate Whipped Cream

Pie #5 - Butterscotch Cream Pie with Gingersnap Crust and Cashew Brittle

Pie #6 - Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust

Pie #7 - Chocolate Kahlua Pie

Pie #8 - Bacon and Egg Pizza

Pie #9 - Pork Confit Pie with Creme Fraiche Potatoes and Puff Pastry

Pie #10 - Raspberry Pie and the Perfect Pie Crust 

I love key lime pie. 

I also hate making key lime pie. I know those little green balls of tart demand I get rhapsodic about them, about slicing them in half and squeezing out their life force and making a giant wonderful something something. 

But, honestly, I despise them, truly. So much work. So little juice. So inappropriately expensive here in New Jersey. Cutting them open, getting a wee bit of juice from each key lime, wondering how I’ll ever get enough juice for a pie, while the Pyrex measuring cup seems to be unimpressed with my juicing endeavors.

And so I’ve given up on them. They’re dead to me, those key limes. The citrus name we shall not speak.

However...

As long as the world keeps making gin, this house will always have limes in it. And if there are limes here, there must also be pie.

We love this lime pie recipe from Magnolia Bakery. It has two things working hard for it. First is the gingersnap crust, which pushes back against the sweetened condensed milk, it’s spicy playfulness taunting and finally making friends with the filling.

The second thing that sends this pie over the top is the lime zest. We used our microplane to get a fine cut from the lime, spreading the goodness throughout the filling without letting giant wads of peel destroy the fun.

This pie is no effort at all. Isn’t that nice? Make this pie. Sometimes easy is perfect.

recipe | Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust (via Magnolia Bakery)


For the crust

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups gingersnap cookie crumbs from cookies blitzed in the food processor 

Turn on the oven to 325 F.


In a bowl, combine the butter and cookie crumbs until evenly coated. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Press it harder. Go back again and press the whole bit harder against the sides and bottom of the plate. Slide it into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Go zest and squeeze your limes (not a metaphor). Once the crust is done, take it out and cool it on a rack for 10 minutes.


For the filling

• 21 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup lime juice 
• 1 tablespoon lime zest

In the bowl of your electric mixer, throw in the milk, yolks, and lime juice. Turn on low until its all mixed together. Add the zest and turn on low until you see the flecks throughout the mixture. 


Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You’re looking for a solid center with no wiggle.


Cool the pie down a bit, between another 20-30 minutes. Then throw it in the refrigerator for 2 hours at least (sorry you have to wait). 

Serve with unsweetened whipped cream and a slice of lime zest if you’re feeling fancy.

Comments

[SaraOneTribeGourmet]

love love love lime pie! you guys are awesome! keep up the great work..Pie Love! :))

[the yummy mummy]

This is beyond awesome. How do you have the stamina for this much dessert? You people are super-human. Love it.

[Jennifer]

Another awesome looking pie. I love limes, no matter what form they take. And if this pie's as easy as you say, I may just have to pull out my pie plate.

[Lisa]

I use the bottled key lime juice because I will not juice limes. I simply refuse to. And I have found it to taste just as good. This is my traditional dessert pie to take over my mom's for Easter; I usually use animal crackers for the crust but I really like the idea of a gingersnap crust.

You do realize that, since you started this pie thang, basketed kittens are few and far between?

[Nancy]

It's Piepolooza!!!!!

I really am relishing all these pies - however since my family is "anti pie" (I know, I know, I question whether we are REALLY related) I don't make pie very often - but this would definitely be towards the top of my list since I love citrus AND this one has no top crust - SCORE!!!

[Shaina]

The lime paired with the gingersnap is really intriguing. It sounds delightfully good.

[Maria]

Love this one!

[pie recipe]

I'm having a hard time to choose, all these pies sounds simply amazing. I'm not sure if it's only because we're all pie lovers in the family, lol! My kids love pies, all four of them. My eldest who's 8 already helps around the kitchen specially when I'm making pie. The last time I made apple pie, she made the crust, and assembled our pie together. She even has that neat apple pie-shaped pastry on top design. Which she brushed with egg, of course, :)

[Mir]

I just picked up a couple of boxes of clearanced gluten-free gingerbread cookies at the supermarket, thinking, "I bet these will be perfect for pie crust for... something" (you and your damn pie month, making me WANT PIE). And then here's this recipe. IT IS FATE. Especially because key lime pie is my husband's favorite. I bet this recipe will be both close enough and different enough that he'll love it.

Your pies rock. (Not a metaphor.) ;)

[Kudos Kitchen]

Great sounding pie, once again. I think the gingersnap crust is the perfect base for the tangy lime filling. What a pie!

[Winnie]

Looks delicious! Love the idea of key lime with a gingerbread crust. I have never been to Magnolia bakery but definitely need to get there one of these days!
ps you two put pie on my mind and I am posting a lemon pie later on today...

[jen]

Key lime pie is my husband's favorite and I love gingersnaps, so I will definitely be trying this one out. I also have to say how awesome the photo of the lime slice is - I'm off to zest and squeeze the day!

[Rachel @ Baked by Rachel]

I've never made any variety of lime pie but honestly keep meaning to. It feels like a summer pie to me though so it'll have to wait. Love that this one has a gingersnap crust - love those tasty little cookies. I might have trouble saving some for the crust!

[Paula]

I hate to admit it but I'm a key lime and lime pie virgin...yes I am. This post however makes me want to throw caution to the winds and with wild abandon leave my virginity behind me! Doubt very much I'll have any regrets either.

[Kim]

Nice pie!

Key lime is my husband's favorite pie.

I recently decided to make him one with the little Mexican limes our friends gifted us... but then I discovered I had no graham crackers... and no condensed milk.

So I made graham crackers from scratch. Just to crumble them up and bake them into the pie crust.

And I made condensed milk, using sugar and a box of powdered buttermilk.

And ya know what? It turned out SUPER!! I just wish I had taken pictures and blogged about it.

[K]

[Lana @ Never Enough Thyme]

I'm totally with you on the key limes. So much effort for so little result. This version sounds just perfect for me and I really like your use of gingersnaps for the crust. Bravo!

[A Thought For Food]

Why oh why did you have to bring up Magnolia Bakery... I would kill to have something from there right now. So freakin' good!

This pie looks delicious... as to all the others.

[patty pino theslackerfactor.co]

I'm with Jen; lime slice photo is so beautiful - sunshine in de winter ;) - and image is now my laptop wallpaper. Lime love.

The Peche blogs continue to feed my food fantasies.

[Celia]

Genius! I hate fiddling with key limes as well - it's hell on the cuticles. I've occasionally added a bit of lemon to straight lime juice to get a bit of that "key" flavor back...

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Yum! I do love Magnolia Bakery, and this pie looks pretty spectacular.

[Alyssa]

Jen C...we have something in common...Key Lime Pie is my hubby's fave too. Was thinking I'm going to try it this weekend. Can't wait to try it...thanks Chris!

[Lynn @ I'll Have What She's Ha]

So, if key limes are really expensive and have no juice, why do people use them?
Clearly I have never tried a key lime, but I do love limes, and lime pie. This one looks fantastic.