My Lutong local lime Pie

..........made in the spirit of key lime pie.

I have a sort-of love-hate relationship with sour desserts. Love them as I do, I can't eat as much of them as I would chocolate or peanut desserts, due to an on-off gastritis issue. Oh well, all things in moderation, and this is as good a way to learn as any, I guess.

Doesn't stop me from attempting to make them, though. This recipe gets most of its elements (as well as a resize) from the Florida Pie recipe in  Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. I did away with the coconut in the filling and topping, as I wanted to taste what a real lime tart, not mix it up with coconut (though that does sound absolutely delicious). The lime custard filling is super easy to whip up- just condensed milk, eggs and lime juice, baked in a graham cracker (digestive biscuits actually) crust. A meringue topping adds a touch of sweet to counter the filling, which I expected to taste lingeringly of condensed milk. The lime juice, though, did its job. No trace of that sickly sweetness I despise about condensed milk in desserts - just a really nice tang and a rich smoothness in the texture.

Local Lime Pie
Crust:
1 cup digestive biscuits, crushed
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
2 tbsp melted butter, cooled

Preheat the oven to 160 deg C. Butter a 9-inch springform fluted tart pan. Process the biscuits, sugar, butter and salt in a food processor. Press the mixture into the tart pan, covering the bottom of the pan and up the sides as evenly as you can muster. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

For the filling:-
2 large eggs, separated
200 mls condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
1/8 cup fine sugar

For the lime custard, beat the egg yolks and condensed milk with a hand mixer in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and silky. No lumps. Beat in the lime juice. Pour this mixture into the crust and bake at the same 160 deg C for 15 - 20 minutes.

For the meringue, put the egg whites and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Take the saucepan off the heat, beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold stiff peaks.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and broil the pie until the top of the meringue is golden brown. Return the pie to the freezer for another 20 minutes or up to 3 hours before serving.