Live, Love, & Eat in Sayulita: No Bake Mini Frozen Key Lime Pies

"Summer time and the livin' is easy"! Do you remember this song? An old time classic that speaks of sunny warm days, barbecues, and yummy refreshing easy to make desserts. George Gershwin wrote it in the 30’s, and many artists have a rendition. I like Janis Joplin’s the best! I can’t think of a dessert that speaks more of summer and livin' easy than No Bake Mini Frozen Key Lime Pies! You absolutely must make these delectable treats in your Sayulita kitchen, keep them frozen, and serve whenever you want a yummy, cool treat! I know that you will love them!

INGREDIENTS:

- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 crackers)... I prefer to use vanilla wafers. Marias vanilla wafers can be found in most all of the Sayulita tiendas 

- 250 grams cream cheese, softened - Alas Blancas or most of the other tiendas in Sayulita always carry Philadelphia queso de crema*

In Mexico, you can find 190 gram or 210 gram packages, so buy 2 packages and add part of the second to achieve 250 grams.

- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

- 3 Tablespoons finely grated lime zest - I use regular limes because key limes are so small to zest and juice, and Sayulita has regular limes everywhere, but if you have a lot of patience, please do use key limes!*

*It is easiest to zest the limes first and then juice them.

- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice + 2 T extra for more lime flavor

- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

- 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream (Crema para Batir) in Spanish. This can always be found at Alas Blancas in Sayulita

PREPARATION:

- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave-safe bowl

- Pulse graham crackers or vanilla wafers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you do not have a food processor, you can put wafers in a ziplock bag. Close the bag well and using the bottom of a flat glass or jar, crush the wafers until they are a fine crumb. Place crumbs in a bowl.

- Add the melted butter and blend with crumbs until well combined. I find that it is easiest to use my fingers to thoroughly combine the butter and crumbs. Set aside.

- Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes.

- Add condensed milk and beat until smooth.

- Add lime juice and lemon juice and beat to combine. Beat in 2 Tbsp. lime zest.

- Using a whisk or electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream in another medium bowl until stiff.

- Gently fold 1/2 cup of the whipped cream into the lime mixture.

- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

- Using a Tablespoon, fill batter evenly into tins until about 1/8-1/4" before top edge of liner.

- Top each with 1&1/2 Tbsp. crumb mixture, breaking up crumbs to completely cover top. Then press down gently to adhere and have a flat surface. This should reach just to the top edge of the liner. 

- Freeze until set, at least 3 hours.

- Remove pies from muffin pan. Turn each pie upside down onto serving plate and remove paper liner. The top crumbs will now be the bottom crust! Any pies that are not being served can be wrapped in plastic wrap and then placedin a ziploc freezer bag to be stored in your freezer until you are ready to serve them.

- Decorate plate with grated zest and any edible flowers you want. I like to use dried rose petals, as you can see in the picture above. Just make sure that flowers have not been sprayed with pesticides. 

- ENJOY! I know that you will love this “summer livin' is easy “ dessert as much as I do!

Stay tuned for my next recipe. I have been baking cookies for my grandkids lately, so all I have to do is decide which cookie recipe to give you. Hmmm, should it be peanut butter chocolate chip or nutella stuffed cookies?