Amazingly Easy Key Lime Pie

When we go out for dinner, if the restaurant lists a key lime pie with a graham cracker crust on its dessert menu, I'm a goner. I simply cannot resist that tangy, creamy, delicate creation. Usually, Andrew and I split a dessert when we go out, if we get one at all, but unfortunately, he doesn't much like key lime pie. But he feels so bad for me when I see it on the menu and know that he won't want to order it, that he usually offers to share it with me anyway. Fortunately, my daughter Celia has developed a taste for key lime pie, too, so I have someone to share it with when we go out as a family. Key lime pies originated in the Florida Keys more than 100 years ago, and were made with small yellow key limes native to that area, that are hard to come by elsewhere. But fortunately, key lime pies can be made very successfully with regular limes.

A few years ago, my friend Jackie Cohen told me that key lime pies are a cinch to make, and she shared her amazingly simple, unbelievably delicious recipe with me. This recipe calls for a pre-made crust, but if you want to make your own graham cracker crust it's quite easy to do, with only three ingredients. Here's a classic recipe from Nabisco, the company that makes the Honey Maid Grahams that most of us are familiar with. This recipe is so easy that your kids can certainly make it with you or even on their own if they have some cooking experience. Make sure they rub the lime zest between their fingers and smell the flavorful oil before adding it to the pie.

If Key Lime Pie isn't your thing, but you love a graham cracker crust, you might prefer this cheesecake recipe with chocolate drizzle from Mango & Tomato.

If you prefer something more lemony than lime-y, try the Lemon Ice Cream Pie from The Chubette.