Relating to the most effective key lime pie recipes, I’ve fond recollections of 1 particularly—and, after all, it dates again to center college. The Olive Backyard was dwelling to my youthful self’s peak-pie indulgences. Positive dinner was effective, however what I couldn’t await was dessert: a slice of black tie mousse cake and one in all key lime pie. Piled excessive with whipped cream, the latter was a real pièce de résistance. Whereas I couldn’t let you know what really went into the dreamy-delicious pies of my youth, there’s one factor I do know for positive: My discerning dessert palette has solely developed over time.
With summer season in full swing, my dessert cravings lean shiny, zingy, and filled with zest. Sweets which might be refreshing on the finish of a meal however nonetheless fulfill the necessity for a bit deal with. One of the best key lime pie recipe checks all of the containers of a stellar summer season dessert. It’s one which celebrates the season and can maintain everybody lingering across the desk a short while longer. To verify as soon as and for all what constitutes the most effective key lime pie, I used to be greater than a bit excited to place a number of recipes to the bake-off take a look at.
Guidelines of the Highway
Usually, that is the place I inform y’all that every one recipes are adopted precisely as written with none changes for private style or taste preferences. That is nonetheless true, however for this explicit bake-off, I made a half-serving of each recipe as a substitute of a full pie (my pie-loving coronary heart does have its limits!). I used a scale to weigh out the halves to make sure accuracy when baking. Simply making an attempt to reduce meals waste over right here! All pies had been baked the evening prior and tasted the subsequent day.
Rating Pointers
My crew of seven style testers all aligned on the next tips when rating every of the pies.
- Filling Taste. Brilliant and zesty with out being too acidic or candy. Lime needs to be ahead however not overwhelming.
- Filling Texture. Creamy and clean, not too dense however agency sufficient to carry its form.
- Crust Texture. Ought to add a pleasant crunch with out detracting from the pie.
Most key lime pie recipes solely name for a handful of substances. Limes, condensed milk, and egg yolks. Due to this, seeing slight variations in portions or extra substances added to the refined distinctions that made every recipe stand out.
Now for the most effective half! Hold scrolling to find which recipe reigned supreme in our Key Lime Pie Bake-Off.
After I first tried this recipe, I had to return and double-check that I hadn’t missed one thing, which often isn’t an amazing begin. The great a part of this contender for the most effective key lime pie recipe is that it’s virtually completely no-bake. The graham cracker crust is baked after which crammed and frozen. The remainder of it, nevertheless, we had a number of points with.
First, I had a number of style testers who weren’t so eager on the uncooked egg yolk state of affairs. Whereas there are some traditionalists who insist key lime pies be made with the raw filling, my crew was unanimously anti-raw eggs. This additionally impacted the flavour as some famous it was a bit eggy.
The most important concern, nevertheless, was the feel. The recipe notes setting the pie out forward of slicing as a way to slice by way of, however the pie mainly melted inside half-hour (not perfect!). Total, I just like the novelty of a frozen pie, however we had a number of structural qualms with this one. For those who strive it, eat it straight out of the freezer to make sure a stable pie.
Our notes on this pie had been really fairly optimistic and everybody loved their slices. The pie filling flavors had been very well-balanced with out being too candy, and the style of lime was good as nicely. There was some debate about whether or not the meringue topping was actually wanted. Whereas the salted vanilla meringue was tasty, most style testers most popular a whipped cream topping to the meringue.
As the one who assembled each single recipe, I assumed it was loads of further effort and dishes to make meringue when whipped cream would have been completely effective. (Although it was an effective way to make use of up the leftover egg whites from utilizing solely yolks within the filling!) In the long run, this pie recipe was good, however a number of the different recipes edged it out on technicalities.
To be clear: it is a actually good key lime pie recipe. Nevertheless, I’ve to confess that I used to be skeptical after I found that it doesn’t use lime zest and consists of vanilla within the filling. However upon additional consideration (and extra intentional tasting), I discovered that the vanilla provides a stunning, virtually floral savoriness to the filling.
Style testers famous that this one leaned on the slightly-sweeter facet, nevertheless it did fulfill the group’s many candy tooth. My testers who weren’t followers of key lime pie loved this one probably the most as nicely. Nevertheless, I believe the dearth of lime zest does make a distinction within the taste. For those who actually need to punch up the limey-ness, combine it into the filling. The feel was extremely clean and total, this made for a fairly good pie.
This key lime pie had all of the makings of a basic and earned very excessive marks. The recipe combines Miette’s do-it-yourself graham crackers with Martha Stewart’s Key Lime Pie Filling combined collectively in a single pie pan. I’ll admit, this was my first thought: Do we actually must make do-it-yourself graham crackers when it’s really easy (and handy!) to purchase a field? Nevertheless, the do-it-yourself crackers give the crust a noticeable textural distinction. Sure it’s further effort, so you’ve got my permission to make use of store-bought crackers. When it got here to the ultimate judging, we beloved the filling’s zingy, lime-filled taste. And with this pie’s creamy texture, we had been all quick followers.
Drumroll please… this is perhaps probably the greatest key lime pies I’ve ever had. However I’ll admit: I used to be skeptical at first due to the coconut milk added to the filling. I knew the flavour would work nicely, however I didn’t know if it could be too overpowering when paired with the limes. Nevertheless, the coconut milk acted as a pleasant candy base that helped mood the lime and stored it from being too acidic.
Some tasters couldn’t even inform there was coconut milk within the filling! The lime taste was upfront with out being overwhelming, and the one factor I seen after baking each single pie was that Adriana’s recipe is the one one which requires salt within the filling. That makes a distinction by way of bringing out the flavors. The feel was absolute perfection in its thick creaminess, and it was the one pie that every one of my style testers ate in its entirety. Run, don’t stroll to make this pie.
This submit was initially printed on June ninth, 2022, and has since been up to date.
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