Key lime pie comes from the Florida Keys, the chain of islands that trails off the southern tip of the state, and it was born of necessity. Before bridges and refrigeration, fresh milk was scarce in the Keys, so cooks turned to canned sweetened condensed milk, which keeps without a fridge. Mixed with egg yolks and the juice of the small, fragrant local limes, it thickens almost by itself. A popular story credits a cook known as Aunt Sally in Key West in the late nineteenth century; written recipes appear only in the 1930s. Florida made it the official state pie in 2006.

The filling should be pale yellow, not green, because that is the color of lime juice and egg yolk, and it should be sharp enough to make you blink, then sweet enough to make you smile. Today it is baked briefly, which sets it and makes the eggs safe. It has to chill for hours, so it is the ideal dessert to make before the Miami Grand Prix and forget about until the podium.

The graham cracker crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter

The lime filling

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 oz / 396 g) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh key lime juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

Whipped cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons (15 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lime

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