Key Lime Icebox Pie

The recent grocery store find of $0.89/pound bags of organic key limes sent me scurrying to the recipe from Cook's Country for Key Lime Icebox Pie.  I'm a huge citrus fan and have wanted to try this recipe for a while now.

It's a simple, no-cook dessert, and despite being a *bit* too tart (which I could've fixed but didn't- don't ask me why because I don't have a good reason), we still enjoyed it after adding ridiculous dollops of homemade whipped cream.

My first task was to juice two pounds of key limes.  The original recipe calls for using regular (Persian) limes, which would've been easier, but apparently I'm a glutton for punishment.  Juicing 50 to 60 teeny tiny limes is a great way to find every single cut and hangnail on your hands! 

It's also time-consuming, but I just juiced a few here and there while I was doing other stuff in the kitchen, rather than all at once.  And thankfully, these little green gems were thin-skinned, which made for easier juicing.  Take note- it's also easier to juice citrus that has been brought to room temperature rather than cold fruit.

So tiny and cute!

Strained juice, lime carcasses, and whole limes being stripped of their zest.

The chilled pie, complete with homemade graham cracker crust.

Plain slice - a bit too tart for our tastes but still pretty!

Now *that's* more like it!  :D

Candied Orange Peels

When life gives you lemons, or oranges, limes, or grapefruits, save the peels and turn them into a tasty, chewy candy.

With a sharp paring knife, remove the outermost layer of the citrus peel(I used 5 large oranges), avoiding the white pith. Cut into 1/4" strips. Boil in water for about 10 minutes. Strain out with a slotted spoon and let dry on a baking rack for about 15 minutes. Rinse out the pan you boiled the peels in and add a fresh cup of water and a cup of white sugar. Bring to a boil, add the peels, and boil for another 8-10 minutes until the peels start to turn translucent. Return the peels to the baking rack and allow to dry for 1 hour. Coat liberally with more white sugar. Peels will keep unrefrigerated in a plastic bag or container for 2-3 weeks.