*Perfected* Key Lime Pie

Hey There Sweets,

I'm excited to share with you my recipe for *perfected* key lime pie!

My husband is quite the key lime pie connoisseur. Are any of you Florida readers familiar with Shirt Tail Charlie's? Well they had the absolute best key lime pie. When ever we were in town we would stop by. One day we were down for Kyle's work and we were both particularly craving a slice of their pie. Did I mention that it's the best? The BEST I tell ya!

So we drove all the way out to Timbucktoo only to meet up with some random construction worker who told us the bad news... Shirt Tail Charlie's had closed. Sad day.

Thus began our personal quest to replicate the perfect key lime pie. We tried and tried. (It's so hard having to eat all of those pies, feel sorry for us won't you?!)

Finally we got it and now you'll have it in your bag of tricks to try at your next bar-b-que or cook out.

Here's what you'll need...

1 9-inch shortbread pie crust (you can make your own with shortbread cookies and butter)

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

1/2 cup Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice (it's in the baking aisle)

Cream together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Fold in Key Lime juice. Pour in crust and chill for at least 1 hour.
You can choose to top the key lime pie in one of two ways...

Meringue Topping

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

Beat egg whites and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating until soft peaks form and sugar dissolves (about 1 to 2 minutes). Dollop the meringue on the top of your key lime pie and bake on the top rack as close to the burners as possible at 400 degrees until meringue browns then put it directly in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. OR if you have one of those handy dandy torches, torch that sucker until the peaks are brown and skip the baking part.

Homemade Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Put a bowl and your mixer attachments in the freezer to cool for 15 minutes. Pour ingredients in to the chilled bowl and mix until soft peaks form. Top your pie and stick the whole she-bang into the fridge for a couple of hours before you serve it.

They are both equally beautiful. After much debate I hedge slightly towards the Homemade Whip Cream Topping.

Be sure to make this a couple of hours in advance so it will have plenty of time to cool. Guaranteed to give you a popularity boost at your next party!