Nothing says summer like key lime pie. The refreshing and tangy flavor of lime intermingles with the rich and creamy texture of condensed milk to make a summer dessert that is truly decadent. Speaking of summer, does anyone else feel like it has flown by this year? It’s almost August which means college students will be back on campus in less than a month! I’ve enjoyed a somewhat relaxing summer this year with not too many vacations or weekend trips. It’s been a nice change of pace to have some time to simply be around the house.
However, summer isn’t over yet! After living in Ann Arbor for one year, it feels like there is so much left to explore! In the month of August, I’m making a short A2 “to do” list of things that I’d like to experience before summer is over. Curious what I’ll be up to? Let me share!
1. Take a walk at Hudson Mills Metropark.
2. Stargaze at the observatory on top of Angell Hall.
3. Find some of the fairy doors that are hidden in downtown A2.
4. Visit the drive-in movie theater in Dearborn for a double feature.
5. Eat hippie hash at Fleetwood Diner.
7. Oh, I’d also like to do some more BAKING! Perhaps try my hand at this Hummingbird Cake!
But for now, I’d like to share the recipe for these delicious mini key lime pies. It’s not a 100% traditional recipe for key lime pie, but it still tastes amazing. I call for regular limes in the ingredients, but if you can find some key limes in the grocery store definitely go ahead and use them! I guarantee that you’ll have people asking you for this recipe once they try it!
Mini Key Lime Pies
Makes approximately 2 dozen
Crust Ingredients
14 sheets of graham crackers
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Filling Ingredients
4 egg yolks
Zest of 2 limes
½ cup lime juice (about 4 limes)
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Whipped Cream Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
Zest of 2 limes
2 tablespoons honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, whip together the yolks and half of your lime zest for about a minute. Add lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well for about 1-2 minutes. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes.
In a blender or a food processor, crush graham crackers until fine. Mix in the melted butter and granulated sugar. Grease mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Put a spoonful of graham cracker mixture into each hole. Make sure filling comes up to the top. Press around with your fingers to create the crust. Press down firmly and push up the sides. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crusts are lightly browned and fragrant. Cool at room temperature.
Fill each hole with about one tablespoon of filling. The filling should reach almost to the top of the muffin pan. Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes until filling jiggles slightly when shaken. Allow to cool completely. To remove from pan, run a paring knife along the edges of each muffin tin. Gently slide a spoon or the edge of the knife under an edge of the mini pie, and slip out. It’s ok if some graham cracker doesn’t make it!
To make the whipped cream, beat the heavy cream until you have soft peaks. Then add the honey and your remaining lime zest. Beat again until you have stiff peaks. Stiff peaks occur when you put the whisk in the whipped cream, pull it out, turn it over and the peak stays up in the air.
To top the key lime bites, you can pipe the whipped cream onto the mini pies and garnish with a little lime zest.
Heather’s Helpful Hints
Cold cream whips up the quickest and lightest. Chilling the bowl and whisk or beaters for at least 15 minutes before whipping the cream will help you speed things along.
Kate
WANT WANT WANT I want to eat these right now!!! Key Lime is my favorite and a two-bite KLP seems like the best thing ever.
Heather @ Sweet Precision
It's my favorite too!! I could probably eat these every day and die a happy woman :)
CakePants
Mmm..these look delicious!! I love the idea of mini key lime pies, since I can never seem to finish a whole piece of (regular-sized) key lime pie. Sounds like a fun to-do list - I didn't know there was an observatory on top of Angell!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
I had no idea either! I was reading another A2 blog and that was the first time I heard about it. I figure it sounds like a fun adventure :)
MOM
What a great post. I love Key Lime (and this small size is great), your pictures (especially the header) are beautiful and your list of summer to-do items sounds fun. I will now scroll back and explore fairy doors and hippie hash!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Perhaps when you come to visit next we can go in search of some fairy doors! It makes me think of something that Jenny would enjoy :)
MOM
Jenny was the first person/thing that I thought of when you wrote about fairy doors. When she makes her first visit to A2 that will certainly be something whe would love on the to-do list.
tableofcolors
Oh my goodness, your recipe looks perfectly wonderful! Too bad I don't have the car today as my hubby needed it...maybe I'll saddle my bike to make a trek to the store for some limes! And you are definitely right, summer is not over yet! Fun list!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you! Matt and I share a car here in Ann Arbor and it feels like I'm always making impromptu trips to the grocery store to purchase something for baking! Luckily we have store that's not too far from us :)
Just Add Attitude
I hope you enjoy doing the things on your list. Your miniature pies look so adorable - I have just finished eating lunch and I would LOVE one of them to finish off with. ;)
Heather @ Sweet Precision
It will be a fun adventure to try do everything on my list this month! I haven't even eaten lunch but I want to snack on a pie for breakfast ;) Dessert for breakfast is acceptable sometimes, right?!
Just Add Attitude
Absolutely! ;)
emmabarrett1508
Your key lime pies look incredible. I wish I could taste one. Good luck with your bucket list. I am sure you will have lots of fun. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. Believe it or not we actually have a summer for once in the U.K. thats lasted more than 3 days. Emma xx
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you Emma :-) I hope you are enjoying lovely summer weather and getting out to do some fun things! I'm not the most adventurous outdoors person, but it's always nice to have good weather to take a walk or even just read a book outdoors!
Jess
These pies look so refreshingly delicious Heather!
There's a lot to do in Ann Arbor, isn't there? Good luck with your list :-D
Heather @ Sweet Precision
There is SO much to do in the summer! And only a few months of good weather to try and get everything done! We're thinking about trying out the drive-in the weekend... hopefully it doesn't rain!
Francesca
Well, good luck with your list, Heather! :-) You could not have picked a more perfect treat! Stefano adooooores key lime pie. It is his favorite American pie and he says that it is very, very difficult to find a good one. Your recipe goes immediately in my special folder. Your mini key lime pies look outrageously delicious! Thank you so much!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Key lime pie is definitely one of my top favorites... it's just so refreshing. I complete agree with Stefano on this one! It'll be fun to work on the list this month. Somehow actually writing things down makes me more accountable!
Tracy Lee Karner
My A2 Sis-in-law is in Florida, right this moment, eating key lime pie. !
Heather @ Sweet Precision
What a perfect connection!! Are on vacation in Florida as well?!
Tracy Lee Karner
Not on vacation there -- every day is a vacation here in the Ocean State. :)
Heather @ Sweet Precision
So true Tracy! I'm envious of your ideal location :) No ocean views here in A2 ;-)
Lilly Sue
OH MY GOSH!!! I am drooling over my keyboard right now- I have been wanting key lime pie so bad and these just look so cute and delectable! :) I have to make these!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Thank you!! They are ridiculously addictive... I had a hard time stopping myself after five of them ;-)
Lilly Sue
I bet!! :)