Key Lime Buttermilk IceBox Pie
It would seem I’m on a bit of a “Key Lime” kick, lately. I originally bought a bag of Key Limes and intended to make Key Lime Pie, but then realized I didn’t have most of the other ingredients required. Instead we had Strawberry Limeade, Homemade Key Lime Curd and Lime Poppy Seed Scones, which were all wonderful but still no Key Lime Pie.
I bought a second bag of Key Limes, again intending to make a pie, when my June issue of Southern Living Magazine arrived and what was on the front cover but….. you guessed it……a beautiful Key Lime Buttermilk Icebox Pie!
I knew immediately what my “Southern Living Recipe of the Month” would be.
In case you aren’t familiar with “Icebox” pies, Southern Living calls them the “heroes of the Southern summer” and I couldn’t agree more. There’s not much to them….crumb crust and cream filling, usually topped with a generous portion of meringue or whipped cream. (homemade, of course) Their popularity comes from three things:
- Super easy
- Cool and refreshing on a hot summer day
- Southerner’s strong love of sweetened condensed milk
I’ve eaten Lemon icebox pie as my life and made a few, too. This is the first recipe I’ve seen that includes buttermilk. I’m not sure exactly what it does for the pie but it was great. The texture was smooth and creamy, as it should be and just the right amount of “tart”. Anything using sweetened condensed milk (or simply called Eagle Brand in the South, probably so it isn’t confused with evaporated milk) is usually quite rich and often too sweet for some, but this pie was perfect. I don’t know if it was the buttermilk or the limes but either way, this recipe is a keeper.
I do have one confession to make. I didn’t make the crust, although unlike regular pie crust, I CAN actually make a graham cracker crust. But, this time I just bought one.
Here’s the Recipe:
- 1 graham cracker crust
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- zest of 3 Key Limes
- 1/2 cup key lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 3 large eggs yolks
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk together first 3 ingredients
In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat egg yolks on high speed about 4-5 minutes or until ribbons form when beaters are lifted
Egg yolks will resemble cake batter
Gradually add condensed milk mixture (which will have thickened a bit) to eggs and whisk until combined
Whisk in buttermilk and pour into pie crust
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until set around the edges
Pie will be slightly jiggly when done
Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour
Cover with plastic wrap, sprayed lightly with cooking spray and freeze for 4-6 hours
Yes, it says freeze. I was a bit skeptical too, but it doesn’t come out frozen.
Top with whipped cream or use egg whites to make meringue
- 1 graham cracker crust
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- zest of 3 Key Limes
- 1/2 cup key lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- 3 large eggs yolks
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- Whipped topping or merinque
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Whisk together first 3 ingredients
- In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat egg yolks on high speed about 4-5 minutes or until ribbons form when beaters are lifted
- Egg yolks will resemble cake batter
- Gradually add condensed milk mixture (which will have thickened a bit) to eggs and whisk until combined
- Whisk in buttermilk and pour into pie crust
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until set around the edges
- Pie will be slightly jiggly when done
- Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour
- Cover with plastic wrap, sprayed lightly with cooking spray and freeze for 4-6 hours
- Yes, it says freeze. I was a bit skeptical too, but it doesn’t come out frozen.
- Top with whipped cream or use egg whites to make meringue