Happily Key Lime Pie is one of the easiest things to make. Note that since key limes are rarely available here, I substitute regular fresh lime juice and it is still delicious... I'm including my recipe for the graham cracker crust too, just in case you need it for the future...

Crust
1 and 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbs sugar
5 Tbs melted butter

Mix ingredients, press into pie plate, bake at 350 for 8 minutes prior to filling with lime mixture...

Filling
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs lime juice.

Whisk condensed milk and yolks together, then whisk in lime juice. Pour filling into crust, bake for another 15 minutes, then cool... Chill before serving...

Thanks for reminding me of this annova, I think I'll have to make one soon!

I did some searching for a friend who wanted one without the sw.condensed milk and luckily found these recipes. Quite similar but slight variation in amounts?!!

http://southernfood.about.com/od/keylimepies/r/blbb684.htm

Key Lime Pie Recipe From Diana Rattray,
Your Guide to Southern Food.
This Key Lime Pie is made with cooked filling.
INGREDIENTS:

* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/4 cup key lime juice
* finely grated peel of 1 lime
* 1 pie shell, 9-inch, baked
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 5 tablespoons sugar

PREPARATION:
Separate eggs; set whites aside. Beat egg yolks in a small mixing bowl.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually stir in the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Gradually stir about 1/3 of the mixture into the beaten egg yolks; stir mixture into the remaining hot mixture in the pan. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring, two minutes. Stir in the butter, lime juice and peel and cool slightly. Pour into the baked pastry shell and cool. Top with meringue and brown in the oven.

Meringue Topping:
Beat egg whites until light and frothy. Add the 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and continue beating until the whites are stiff enough to hold a peak. Gradually beat in 5 tablespoons sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy.

Pile the meringue lightly on cooled pie filling, spreading it until it all the way to edges of the pastry to prevent the meringue shrinking. Bake in a preheated 425 oven until the top is brown, 5-6 minutes.

Key Lime Pie Recipe From Diana Rattray,
Your Guide to Southern Food.
More Key Lime pie recipes below.
INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1/3 cup cornstarch
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup cold water
* 1 1/2 cups hot water
* 6 tablespoons lime juice or key lime juice
* 3 eggs, separated
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 2 teaspoons fresh grated lime peel
* 1 pastry shell, 9 inch
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* dash salt

PREPARATION:
In a saucepan over low heat, combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix well; add hot water. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until very thick. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice and return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Beat egg yolks lightly. Beat in about 1/3 cup of the hot mixture; stir egg yolk mixture to the saucepan mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes longer. Add butter and lime peel and let cool.

Pour cooled mixture into baked pie shell. Beat egg whites until stiff; gradually beat in the 6 tablespoons of sugar and dash of salt. Spread meringue over top of key lime pie. Bake key lime pie for 20 minutes at 300°, until nicely browned.

Sandy's Key Lime Pie
From Diana Rattray,
Your Guide to Southern Food.
A favorite key lime pie recipe from Sandy.
INGREDIENTS:

* 3 egg yolks
* 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
* 1/4 tsp. Salt (which I never use)
* 1/3 cup cornstarch
* 2 cups water
* 2 tbs. butter
* 1/3 cup lime juice
* 1 tbs. grated lime peel
* Few drops green food coloring
* 3 egg whites, at room temperature
* 3 egg whites, at room temperature
* pinch of salt (which I never use)
* 4 tbs. granulated sugar
* 1 baked 9-inch pie shell

PREPARATION:
1.Beat egg yolks & set aside.

2.Combine sugar, salt & cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually add water and stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, & boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add a quarter of the mixture to the egg yolks & stir to prevent eggs from cooking. Return to hot mixture, add butter and lime juice; stir well. Return saucepan to stove and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add peel and food coloring. Pour into pie shell. Place egg whites, cream of tartar & salt in a medium bowl & beat until foamy; beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat till the sugar dissolves & meringue is stiff. Cover pie filling with meringue, spreading it to the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or till very lightly browned. Cool and enjoy.
My family loves this one!
Shared by Sandy

Here's one that I've made on many occasions,
Lucy

Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie

9" graham cracker pie crust
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (whites not used)
½ cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream, or meringue, and garnish with lime slices.

Just one FYI: Cook's did one of their studies on Key Lime Pie. They found that that second baking -- of the filling in the pie -- was essential for the pie to taste "correct".

This is their recipe:

KEY LIME PIE Serves 8 Cooks

LIME FILLING
4 teaspoons grated zest plus 1/2 cup strained juice from 3 to 4 limes
4 large egg yolks
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
11 full graham crackers, processed to fine crumbs (1 1/4 cups)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 lime, sliced paper thin and dipped in sugar (optional)

1. For the filling: Whisk zest and yolks in medium bowl until tinted light green, about 2 minutes. Beat in milk, then juice; set aside at room temperature to thicken.

2. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add butter; stir with fork until well blended. Pour mixture into 9-inch pie pan; press crumbs over bottom and up sides of pan to form even crust. Bake until lightly browned and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

3. Pour lime filling into crust; bake until center is set, yet wiggly when jiggled, 15 to 17 minutes. Return pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (Can be covered with lightly oiled or oil-sprayed plastic wrap laid directly on filling and refrigerated up to 1 day.)

4. For the whipped cream: Up to 2 hours before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks. Adding confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, continue whipping to just-stiff peaks. Decoratively pipe whipped cream over filling or spread evenly with rubber spatula. Garnish with optional sugared lime slices and serve.

If you prefer a meringue topping, follow the instructions in "No-Weep Lemon Meringue Pie" in the November/December 1994 issue. Bake pie only 7 minutes, then apply meringue gently, first spreading a ring around the outer edge, then filling in the center. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes more.

Meringue Topping

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8. For the meringue, mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup water in small saucepan; bring to simmer, whisking occasionally at beginning and more frequently as mixture thickens. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, remove from heat. Let cool while beating egg whites.

9. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; until sugar is incorporated and mixture forms soft peaks. Add cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat meringue to stiff peaks. Remove plastic from filling and return to very low heat during last minute or so of beating meringue (to ensure filling is hot).

10. Pour filling into pie shell. Using a rubber spatula, immediately distribute meringue evenly around edge then center of pie to keep it from sinking into filling. Make sure meringue attaches to pie crust to prevent shrinking. Use spoon to create peaks all over meringue. Bake pie until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve.

Thanks so much for all these recipes! All I need to do is buy the condensed milk, a few more limes and whipping cream, and key lime pie (I guess regular lime pie!) here I come :)

Just to chime in with one more note, I've made key lime pie with and without the zest, and while I initially thought I would like it with (I love zest in most things), I really did NOT like it in the pie. I thought it took away from the smooth texture that is so critical to the key lime pie, and given how much lime juice is in there didn't think it added in terms of flavor...

Tell us how it turns out!
Emily

Another FYI: Yellow "Key Limes" are called "Bar Limes" or "Mexican Limes" when they are green. These limes are smaller than the regular ones. You might find them in the grocery under these other names.