There are certain foods that I associate with specific people. Any chocolate dessert (the chocolaty the better), I immediately think of my brother. For my dad, it is two things. When I was a kid, he loved drinking LaCroix, which is now so popular in the world of carbonated beverages that I say he was 20 years ahead of the trend, and when it comes to dessert, it’s key lime pie.

My dad made the trip from Chicago to Florida to spend a long weekend with us, so I figured it was the perfect reason to make a key lime pie for our special guest, who was also celebrating his birthday. From the graham cracker crust to the citrusy filling, it was a simple, foolproof pie. I did get a little fancy by toasting the meringue topping with my trusty kitchen torch.

Key Lime Pie
Adapted from Food52

Makes one 9-inch pie

12 graham cracker sheets
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 large eggs, separated
1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a food processor to pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Press the graham cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Allow the crust to cool a little.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Pour into the crust and bake for 15 minutes until the center of the filling is still a bit wobbly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cooled pie.

To toast the topping, use a kitchen torch or place it under the broiler for a minute or less.

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