Desserts prepared in jars are
such fun to eat. Desserts in jars are individual (obvious!), easy portion
control, highly versatile, and portable. These desserts are yummier to eat than
when served off of a plate. You can pretty much make anything in a jar. Our
first experiment was cheesecake that turned out exceedingly well, and last
night Craig made key lime pies (KLP) in jars.
These have all the elements
we love about KLP. The generous dollop of whipped cream mellows the dense, zesty
lime filling – sour enough to make your mouth **slightly** pucker – and then
your spoon hits the crumbly, buttery graham cracker layer. An addictive
combination of sweet and tart. While KLP has a fresh, summery taste, it tends
to be quite rich. This is the perfect amount to satisfy any sweet tooth without
completely blowing your diet.
And two pieces of KLP
trivia: KLP, which originated in Key
West, uses sweetened condensed milk because fresh milk was unavailable in the
Florida Keys until the 1930s when U.S Highway 1, also known as the Overseas Highway,
was build and tank trunks carrying ice could get milk to the region. And, in
2006, KLP became the official pie of Florida.
Key Lime Pie in a Jar
Serves 4
Crust Layer
1 cup low fat graham cracker
crumbs (about 6 – 7 whole crackers)
Scant 3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling
1-14 ounce can fat free
unsweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/2 cup Key Lime juice (fresh
or bottled is fine – Nelly & Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice is recommended – but do not use regular grocery store
limes)
3 egg yolks
Garnish
Fresh whipped cream
(unsweetened)
Lime wedges
Preheat oven to 350.
Process graham crackers in
the food processor until crumbly. Transfer to a medium bowl and add sugar and salt.
Stir well to combine. Add melted butter and blend completely.
Spoon crust mixture evenly
between four half-pint (8-ounce) Mason jars, about 1/4 cup per jar. Press down
slightly on the bottom and up the sides of the jar, but don’t compact the
crumbs too tightly.
Place lime zest, Key Lime
juice, and yolks in a medium bowl. Using a whisk, stir until thoroughly mixed.
Evenly divide the mixture between
the jars. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the filling is set (when touched,
it is firm).
Cool at room temperature and
then cover with the jar bands and flaps and refrigerate at least two hours, up
to three days.
So glad you posted this! Ginger saw a picture of this on Craig's Facebook page and was telling me about it. Key lime pie is my absolute favorite pie, ever. This looks terrific. BTW, if you haven't tried it, Publix makes a decent key lime pie - not the best, but more than decent, and at a good price (or at least it used to be). Super post - thanks.
ReplyDeleteYum. Such a hearty weeknight dinner
ReplyDelete