No-Bake Key Lime Pie

My parents visited last weekend, and I wanted to make something simple, tasty, and that wouldn't require babysitting an oven. Since it really is starting to feel like spring, (the cherry blossoms are gone, but intoxicating wisteria vines and lilac bushes have taken their place), I decided to make a rich, fresh-tasting key lime pie. Now, everyone has their sworn, favorite recipe, and there seems to be a schism between the basked-custard aficionados, and the no-bake, chilled filling fans. I'm happy with either one, (althought the baked merengue topping on the custard variety has always seemed like a bit much), but in the interest of time, I found a delicious, simple no-bake recipe.

A word about lime juice - key limes are occasionally available in supermarkets, but you may find juicing them tedious and expensive - they're very small, don't pack much juice per piece, and you could end up having to buy several bags of them. Many specialty markets now carry bottled key lime juice, but if you can't find it, (and I think fresh-squeezed is usually better than something that's been sitting on a shelf), use a combination of half regular lime juice/half lemon juice. The lemon juice imparts the tartness that makes key limes different from regular limes, and the resulting taste is the same...

Recipe
1 nine-inch graham cracker crust
1 pound cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup combined lime and lemon juice, (approx. 5 limes and 3 lemons)
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
whipped cream for garnish

Directions
In a food processor, or using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese, juice and condensed milk until smooth. Add zest and mix just until combined. Pour filling into shell. Chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day. Garnish with whipped cream and lime slices.

the mixed filling

store-bought crust

ready for chilling

dessert-time!

This pie is very rich, and a small slice is a plentiful serving...