I am a Clipoholic - Creamy Lime Pie

Just shoot me, OK?  I have this box full of clippings as well as

these cookbooks and magazines to cook through.

Why, I ask you, do I still find the need to cut and clip!?!  It's an addiction and I'm hopeless.

Still unpacking things, I came across an old radio that belonged to my in-laws.  Lovey had it restored about 15 years ago and it's been packed away since.  It actually works so I thought I would make use of it and get rid of another box in the storage room.

Here is the box it was packed in.

Uh Oh..look what it was packed in.  I started shaking and broke into a cold sweat.  I ran to the kitchen, downed a couple shots of Bourbon (not really), went back to the pantry, sat on the floor and proceeded to go through the papers to see if there were any recipes.  I'm just pitiful, that's what I am.  I found I was reading the August 17, 1996 edition of The Rockport (Texas) Pilot.

I found one (lowering head in shame); and it's a microwave recipe; I don't cook with a microwave.  I re-heat leftovers in the microwave.  Why am I cutting this out?

How I justified it:  Lovey adores Key Lime Pie and he also likes for me to, when possible, try and make desserts a little healthier to eat.  In reading through the recipe that this Creamy Lime Pie called for those 'eggs in a milk carton'-type product  (I used Egg Beaters) and sweetened condensed skimmed milk.  So, what the hey, I thought I'd try it.

I don't know why it bothers me to cook in a microwave.  Perhaps it's one of those things I'm uncomfortable with simply because I'm not well educated on the technique.

Anyway, this was super easy to put together.  The crust was made and pre-cooked in the MW and came out looking great but cooked it a little too much around the outside edges.  I did use butter instead of the called for 'regular margarine'.  Could this have been the reason?  Alton Brown, where are you?

The recipe also called for 5 drops of green food coloring but I stopped at 2; otherwise it would have been a bright kelly green.

All in all, this was a really nice pie.  It was super thick and creamy and was significantly different from my Key Lime Pie.  As I suspected, the crust was a little overdone on the bottom because it had to be chiseled out at the edges (that's why, in this photo, the pie sort of leans back; half of the crust was left in the pie plate).  It wasn't burnt, just caramelized a bit too much.

Creamy Lime Pie

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup regular butter, melted
1 carton (8 oz., 1 cup) refrigerated real egg product
2 cans (14 oz. each) sweetened condensed skimmed milk
3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes) (I only had to use 3, but mine were big limes)
1-1/2 tsps. grated lime peel
5 drops green food coloring (I used 2 drops)
Whipped cream for topping

Mise en Place:

• wash limes, dry and grate enough peel for the required amount
• squeeze limes
• open your cans of condensed milk
• melt the butter
• measure out remaining ingredients

Method:
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Press evenly and firmly into 9-inch glass pie plate to form shell.  Microwave at HIGH (100%) for 3 to 3-1/2 minutes, rotating plate a quarter turn after every minute.  Cool.

In medium-size bowl, stir together egg product and condensed milk.  Gradually stir in lime juice.  Stir in lime peel and food coloring.  Pour into cooled pie shell.

Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) for 15 minutes or until set, rotating pie plate a half turn after every 5 minutes.  cool and chill until serving time.  Garnish with whipped cream.