Have you ever been to Key West, Florida? I hadn’t either until my recent cruise on the Carnival Dream, but I always imagined it to be a laid-back, easy-going place full of free spirits.
Reality didn’t disappoint!
I was only there one day, but it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was warm but not too warm, and I was ready to soak in as much atmosphere as I could. This is what I found:
Palm trees. I took a lot of photos of palm trees. It must be a secret obsession.
Sleeping porches. I love the idea of snoozing in one of these spaces as the night ocean breezes blow through.
Hemmingway’s House, which was a beautiful place full of interesting stuff (i.e. typewriters) to see, especially for a writer. Yes, there were plenty of the famous six-toed cats around, and I covet Hemmingway’s writing office though I think I’d skip the mounted animal heads.
Bicycles…everywhere!
The Key West lighthouse was beautiful.
Best of all, I enjoyed a slice of key lime pie at Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe and chatted with owner Kermit Carpenter. His chocolate-dipped pie slices have been featured on both the Food Network and the Travel Channel.
I love key lime pie, and this one was perfect! Not too tart, rich and creamy.
Kermit shared his recipe with me. When I made it at home, it tasted just like his.
This is an easy pie to make. I like my slice topped with a little sweetened whipped cream.
You can learn more about Kermit’s shop at www.keylimeshop.com. (His key lime fudge is amazing, too!)
Kermit’s Key Lime Pie
Serves 8
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 egg yolks
2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup key lime juice (1/2 cup of Kermit’s key lime juice, which is double strength)
Grated lime zest, for garnish
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and melted butter until the mixture is crumbly like sand. Pour into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is set and browns. Remove and place on a rack to cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth and then whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow the pie to cool for 15 minutes before refrigerating. Before serving, sprinkle some grated lime zest over the top of the pie. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.