Although last week’s recipe may be a bit of a tough act to follow — it’s not as tough when you’re made of the same stuff.

We could consider this a part two to the summer key lime recipes that we started talking about in the previous article.

That refreshing, light flavor that just tastes like summer. It has that tropical flavor that makes it a bit easier to pretend you’re in Florida rather than in New York, where it’s actually a bit chilly for this time of the year.

The kind of dessert that’s not overwhelmingly sweet, but a bit tart, which compliments the weather far better than something rich and chocolatey.

Unless the rich and chocolatey thing is actually ice cream, in which case it fits right in.

This is another recipe that’s easy, but it looks like it was more effort and time spent than it truly was. Except for the time in the freezer, of course.

That’s something that does take more time, but it’s not active kitchen or baking time, which makes all the difference when it comes to the ease of a recipe.

There’s plenty more that could be said about this pie, but I’ll leave it at that.

As always, thanks for reading, and happy summer from hbk!

KEY LIME PIE

INGREDIENTS

Filling

3 egg yolks

Zest one large lime

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

2/3 C. lime juice

Splash vanilla extract

Graham Cracker Crust

10 graham crackers, crushed

1/3 C. granulated sugar

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

Topping (optional)

Slices of lime

1 C. Heavy whipping cream

1/3 C. powdered sugar

Splash of vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Crush graham crackers, using either a food processor or large Ziploc bag and rolling pin. Mix together with sugar and melted butter.

3. Press graham cracker mixture into bottom of pie pan, bake for 8 minutes.

4. While crust is in the oven, beat egg yolks and lime zest together until it starts to fluff, about 5 minutes.

5. Add in cream cheese and mix until well blended, then add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and vanilla. Mix together well, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Be careful not to overmix, just until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Pour filling into pan and bake for 10 minutes.

7. Allow to cool completely on wire cooling rack.

8. If topping or decorating with whipped cream, place heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in mixing bowl, and mix on medium-high speed for about 5-6 minutes, or until peaks begin to form.

Fill a piping bag with whipped cream, and using a star shaped tip, make 8 dollops of whipped cream, evenly spaced apart, around the pie.

9. Freeze for at least 25 minutes before serving. Enjoy! Yields 8 servings.

Katy Wise is a Fredonia resident.