Fresh Lime Pie (British Virgin Islands)

This recipe was featured on week 37 of my food blog, "Travel by Stove." I am attempting to cook one meal from every nation on Earth, and the British Virgin Islands is my 37th stop. Unless otherwise noted, my Travel by Stove recipes are taken from authentic or traditional sources, and this recipe has been posted without any alternations or additions to the ingredients. This recipe originally appeared in The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook, but I have altered it to use the crust from a different Sugar Mill pie recipe (coconut cloud tart). The original recipe simply called for a refrigerated pie crust.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups  vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1⁄3 cup butter, melted
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 3  eggs, separated
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1⁄2 cup  freshly squeezed lime juice
•  lime zest from 1 lime
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⁄4 cup sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the wafer crumbs with the butter and sugar and press down into the bottom of a pie pan. Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is just starting to brown. Let cool.
2. Put the eggs into a small mixing bowl and beat until they are thick and pale yellow. Stir the eggs into the condensed milk.
3. Add the lime juice and rind and pour over the crust. Set aside.
4. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until the whites begin to thicken. Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until you get stiff peaks.
5. Spread the egg whites gently over the lime filling.
6. Bake at 350 for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the meringue begins to brown.