Key Lime Pie Recipe – Te tohutao Pae Raimi
I have called this my Key Lime Pie Recipe because that what the Americans call it, but we don’t actually have key limes here in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Maybe you have seen them? I however, have never seen them. The most accurate description is to call it a Pae Raimi (Lime Pie) but you call it whatever you want. Regardless of the name, this creamy, simple pae (pie) is absolutely divine. Kia tiro atu tātou ki te tohutao – let’s take a closer look at the recipe.
My Key Lime Pie Recipe:
Why do we love it? Simply put, this humble pie celebrates the stunning flavour of raimi (limes). It is also such a simple pie to make and takes only a few simple steps. Yes, I have Naomi-fied it and have created some further steps. However, these are only necessary if you want to be a bit fancy with the decorating. If that is you, finish it with my simple French meringue by smearing it on or piping. As an option, use half of that recipe to create some baked meringue shards that look so dramatic. For a simple option, leave it plain and serve it with your favourite berries or a dollop of kirīmi tāwhiuwhiu (whipped cream). As always, you take this Pai Rami (Lime Pie) wherever you want to take it.
Can I use replace some of the raimi (limes) with rēmana (lemons)?
As I was making this the other day, this thought came in to my mind. Of course you can sub a bit of the wai raimi (lime juice) for rēmana (lemon). However, use at least half of the wai raimi (lime juice) and all of the (kiri raimi) lime zest recommended in this recipe for that super lime hit.
More purini (desserts) to try:
Do you need a delicious purini rēmana (lemon dessert)? Try my Lemon and White Chocolate Cheesecake, it is no-bake and full of creamy lemon flavour. Do you want a no-bake keke tīhi tiakarete (chocolate cheesecake)? Then, you must try this S’mores No-bake Chocolate Cheesecake – it has layers of fun in every bite. Have you ever tried making a Charlotte Cake? They are so delicious and mine is no-bake so take a look at my No-bake Chocolate Charlotte Cake.
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Key Lime Pie Recipe – Pae Raimi
Ingredients
The Lime Custard – Te Kahitete Raimi
- Kiri raimi (lime zest, of 2 limes)
- ⅔ C (165) wai raimi māota (fresh lime juice, approximately 5-6 limes)
- 1 can (395 g) miraka kukū reka (can sweetened condensed milk)
- ¼ tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 2 hēki iti (small eggs, size 6)
- 2 hēki iti anō (extra small eggs, size 6)
The Biscuit Base – Te Paparanga Pihikete
- 125 g pihikete wīti (wheat biscuits)
- ¼ (20 g) kokonati pūtī (desiccated coconut)
- 50 g pata kua rewaina (melted butter)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) wanira (vanilla)
The French Meringue and Meringue Shards – Te Tāhungagunga Wīwī me Ngā Ngota Tāhungahunga
- 2 kahu hēki (egg whites, reserved from the custard ingredients)
- ¼ tsp kirīmi tāta (cream of tartar)
- ½ C (110 g) huka one (caster sugar)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) wanira (vanilla)
- He kini tote (a pinch of salt)
The Decorations – Ngā whakarākei
- ¼ C kākano pamakaranete (pomegranate seeds)
- 12 raupua putiputi (flower petals, edible)
Instructions
The Lime Custard – Te Kahitete Raimi
- Finely zest the kiri raimi (lime zest) in to a large bowl.
- Juice the raimi (limes) to equal 2/3's of a cup. I always give my limes a hard rub on the bench to help release the juice before juicing.
- Pour in the miraka kukū (condensed milk) and stir with a whisk until it is all combined.
- Add the tote (salt) and two hēki (eggs). Stir again until combined.
- Seperate the extra 2 hēki (2 eggs). Add the kahu hēki (egg whites) in to a seperate bowl and reserve for the meringue topping.
- Add the tōhua hēki (egg yolks) in to the main mixture. Stir it all together and leave it to the side to thicken and develop a little in flavour. As it sits, make the simple base.
The Biscuit Base – Te Paparanga Pihikete
- Preheat the oven to 165 °C.
- Add the pihikete wīti (wheat biscuits) and kokonati pūtī (desiccated coconut) in to a tāwhirowhiro (food processor). Whizz it all together until you get a fine-ish crumb.
- Add in the pata kua rewaina (melted butter) and whizz for 10 seconds or so.
- Using a measuring cup, press the kongakonga pihikete (biscuit crumb) firmly in to a 20 cm tart tin. You can also use a 20 cm springform cake tin or one with a removable base.
- Bake the base for 10-12 minutes in the pre-heated oven until lovely and golden. Cool the base for 5 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 140 °C. If your oven only has a fan bake setting, turn the oven down to 130 °C.
- After the base has cooled slightly, gently stir the kahitete raimi (lime custard) and pour in to the base.
- Bake for 30 minutes in a 140 °C oven. If at the 30 minute mark there is still heaps of wobble in the custard, bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Please note – the custard will still have some wobble in it, this creates a creamy finished product so don't worry. It will set further in the fridge.
- Cool for 20 minutes on the bench and then transfer the pie into the fridge. Cool for at least four hours but overnight is better for the flavours to deepen. This will keep well in the fridge for up to 5-7 days, I cover mine with a bowl cover or a plate.
The French Meringue – Te Tāhungagunga Wīwī
- Follow the instructions for my simple French meringue recipe. Add half of the meringue to a piping bag and pipe on to the chilled lime pie. Torch the meringue with a blow torch or place it under a super hot grill if you want to toast it. Return to the fridge until you want to serve. The piped meringue will be at its best for up to 4 hours in the fridge.
The Meringue Shards – Ngā Ngota Tāhungahunga
- If you want to you can turn the remaining half of the meringue in to my meringue shards recipe. Follow the simple instructions.
- When you are ready to serve your pie, break the baked meringue in to shards and add them to the pie. The shards need to added just before serving otherwise they soften.
The Decorations – Ngā Whakarākei
- Finish with kākano pamakaranete (pomegranate seeds) and some raupua putiputi (flower petals).
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