Gabriel and Bella's Key Lime Pie

I made this recipe for Edgar's 90th birthday dinner, with some coaching from Gabriel.  Easy and delicious!  Love, Wendy

Ingredients

FILLING

1/2 cup (scant) fresh lime juice (juice of 3-4 limes)

4 tsp grated lime zest (from most of the limes) (zest the limes before you squeeze them)

4 egg yolks

1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

(optional: 1+1/2 tsp ground ginger)

CRUST

(the easy way is to buy a box of graham cracker crumbs.... or grind graham crackers in the food proceesser)

 1 +1/2 cups fine crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unslted butter, melted

TOPPING

whipped cream slightly sweetened, with some lime zest mixed in

Directions

(Make filling first because it must sit and thicken)

Filling

1. Whisk egg yolks, powdered ginger (optional)  and lime zest together until the mixture is tinted light green all the way through

2. Beat in condensed milk, then lime juice, and set aside at room temperature until it thickens.

While it sits, make the crust

3. Preheat over to 350

4. In a pie plate, mix crumbs and sugar, then add melted butter.

5. Press firmly over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.  Use a flat bottomed measuring cup to press the crumb mixture so it forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan.

6. Bake on the center rack from 8 - 10 minutes until lightly brown, remove, and let cool to room temperature.

7. Leave the oven on.

Fill the pie

8. Pour the room temperature lime filling into the crust, spread evenly, and bake for 10 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken.

9.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature

10 Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until well chilled.

Top the pie

11. Just before serving, beat the heavy cream with some lime zest.  Spread over the top of the pie.