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Any lime makes fast, easy sweet-tart pie By Sarah Lemon Updated: Jan 20, 2020 09:56 AM A A Key lime juice as a sauce for crabcakes factored into my most recent podcast . While the little citrus specimens are highly sought after, lacking them shouldn’t keep you from proceeding with sweet-tart recipes that wake up the wintertime palate. This is one that, although dubbed Key Lime Pie, calls for regular limes, which are typically more widely available. It’s a signature dessert of Los Angeles chef Nicole Rucker, who turned to it in a pinch when fresh fruit wasn’t available amid a holiday rush at her Fiona bakery. Her Key Lime Pie is an easy, fast treat that many cooks could pull off with pantry staples: graham crackers, sweetened condensed milk and even bottled lime juice, although the fresh zest lends that characteristic tang. With a slab pie variation, it’s also an ideal recipe to feed a crowd. Nicole Rucker’s Key Lime Pie 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use preground crumbs or finely grind about 10 whole graham crackers) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 6 medium limes 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 4 large egg yolks 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup sour cream Heat oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate (not deep-dish) with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter; stir until moist crumbs form. Transfer to prepared pie plate and press evenly into bottom and up sides of plate (but not over rim). Bake crust until lightly browned, for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Leave oven on. Finely grate 1 tablespoon zest from the limes into a large bowl, then halve limes and squeeze 1/2 cup juice. (You may not need all 6 limes.) Add the condensed milk and egg yolks and whisk until all egg yolks have been incorporated and zest is speckled throughout mixture. Pour into cooled crust. Bake in preheated oven until filling is set around edges and center wobbles slightly when touched, for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, for at least 2 hours. In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream and sour cream with an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, or by hand, until soft peaks form; do not overbeat. Pile cream on top of pie and swirl and swoosh with a spoon or rubber spatula. Refrigerate pie for at least 3 hours before serving. Pie can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Makes one 9-inch pie. KEY LIME SLAB PIE VARIATION: Double all of quantities above. Use a 9-by-13-inch cake pan or quarter-sheet pan instead of pie plate and prepare and bake crust and filling as above. To serve, cut into squares and top each with a large dollop of the cream mixture. Recipe adapted by the Los Angeles Times from “Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers” by Nicole Rucker. Tribune News Service photo