Key Lime Pie

Happy Wednesday! Since we have all made it beautifully through the week so far, lets all share this deliciously delectable piece of pie. :)

Ingredients:
1 cup Shortbread cookies (crushed)
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts (finely chopped)
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Sugar
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice or lime juice

Optional Whipped Cream Garnish:
1 cup Whipping Cream
3 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar

Tip: I used my food chopper for both the cookies and the macadamia nuts. Since they both get combined together, you don't have to clean it out in between the two ingredients and it makes things 10x faster!

Tip: The key lime juice is right next to the lime juice in the grocery store and makes this pie taste so much better!

To start off, combine your crushed cookies, finely chopped macadamia nuts, butter, and sugar into a mixing bowl. Once this is mixed, pour it into your pie pan (9 inch) and press it evenly against all sides and the bottom. Refrigerate this for 30 minutes. Here is what my crust looked like:

 

Next, place your cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat it with a mixer until smooth. If you forgot to take your cream cheese out of the fridge to soften (I do this often!), you can heat it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Once your cream cheese is smooth, add in your condensed milk and key lime juice. Beat your mixture with a mixer until combined and then pour it into your pie crust. Refrigerate your pie for 4 hours. Here is what your pie should look like:

 

Optional: Whipped Cream Garnish
Directions for making your own whipped cream can be found in an earlier post here. I find that this really takes the pie to the next level, and it just looks awesome. Here is a picture of the final product:

 

Happy Cooking
& Enjoy!