Lime Custard Pie

This week our local market had a sale of limes, and I decided to celebrate "national pie day", (3.14.15), and "St. Patrick's Day", (3.17.15), with my easy, delicious, lime custard pie, (no dairy needed).  This recipe will make one 9 inch pie, and the most often comment you will hear is "this taste just like key lime pie!".  The filling take 5 simple ingredients, and only 20 minutes from start to finish.

First you will need to prepare you pie crust, (it can be a graham cracker crust or a pie dough crust - your choice), just as long as it is already baked and ready to go.  I prefer the graham cracker, since this is a light pie, (I think a lighter pie does well with a light crust).  If you are pressed for time, you can also buy your crust from the store.

For the filling you will need:
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
limes, (depending on the size, enough for 1/2 cup lime juice - my were rather large, I only needed
2 1/2)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature

First, grate 1 Tablespoon of lime zest, (about 1 lime), set aside.

 Juice 1/2 cup lime juice.  As noted, I picked out fairly large limes and only need 2 1/2 limes, (I always buy an extra lime or two just in case, and I always bring my limes to room temperature, then roll them over the counter under the palm of my hand pressing slightly, so they release more of their juices).

In a medium saucepan, whisk the 4 eggs.

Whisk in the granulated sugar.

 Whisk in the salt.

 Whisk in the lime juice.

Whisk in the lime zest.

It is important to remember to whisk well after adding each ingredient.  Now place the saucepan over medium heat.  After one minute when the mixture has warmed up slightly, add the butter.

I cut my butter into 4 pieces, so it will melt easier.

Continue whisking, as the butter melts.

 Continue cooking the mixture over medium heat, whisking until it thickens.  Do not, (I repeat DO NOT), let the mixture come to a boil - this will cause the custard to separate and you will need to start over.  It will take about 10 minutes for the custard to thicken, (depending on the size and weight of the saucepan and how much heat it absorbs).

Once the mixture has thicken nicely, remove from the heat.  Notice the nice bits of lime zest in the custard.

Immediately pour the custard into the pie shell.

Now comes the hard part.  Let the pie set on the counter for at least 1 hour to cool to room temperature and set.  Just forget about the pie, even though it smells wonderful and you will be tempted to taste it.  Just lick the spoon or the pan, if you must.

After it has cooled, I like to whip some cream for the top, just around the edges and the center.  You can now store your pie in the refrigerator, (uncovered), until you are ready to serve.  If you would rather not garnish with whipped cream, a few thinly sliced limes pieces look very nice scattered about the top.

And there you have it, lime custard pie.  Another way to serve this for a crowd, is to prepare and bake your crust in a 9 X 13 inch pan, then pour the custard over the crust, (be sure to spray the pan first).  Then cut the pie into squares for serving.

The comment I hear most often is "this taste just like Key Lime Pie".  It's the addition of the lime zest that give it the extra plus.

Don't forget my Easy Irish Soda Bread for your St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Enjoy!