This recipe is very similar to the Frozen Key Lime Pie recipe that was posted several months ago.  Your friends and family will beg you to make this dessert for every family get together.  The main thing that sets this recipe apart from the previous recipe is that the filling is cooked for a few minutes, whereas the previous recipe requires no cooking of the filling.  With the latest salmonella contamination of eggs, it is a good idea to cook eggs whenever possible.  Heat, from cooking kills salmonella, so even if you make this recipe with eggs that happen to be contaminated, you will not get sick!  This recipe is also safer for people with health conditions that make eating raw eggs dangerous.  Pregnancy is one such condition that can be dangerous to a growing baby for the mother to consume uncooked eggs.  So, here is a recipe with all of the flavor and absolutely no health risk!

For the crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (12 crackers)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lime zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

6 egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated lime zest

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approximately 5-6 limes)

1 (14-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk

For the topping:

1/2 container of whipped topping

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoons of lime zest

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1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

2. For the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, lime zest, vanilla extract, and melted butter in a bowl.  Press the graham cracker mixture into a a greased 9-inch, round spring-form pan.  Flatten out the edges and bottom to a universal thickness, using a 1/3 or 1/2 cup measuring cup.  Bake the crust for 8 minutes.  Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.

3. For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high in a blender for 5 minutes, until thick.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice.  Turn the blender on low and blend for another 2 minutes, until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

4. Pour the filling into the cooled graham cracker crust.  Pour the filling into the crust and bake for an additional 8 minutes.

5. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to completely.  Once cool, place the pie in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

6. For the topping, add the vanilla extract and the lime zest to the whipped topping, and stir until the whipped topping becomes light and fluffy, and the vanilla and lime zest are well incorporated.

6. Remove the pie from the freezer.  The filling should be firm.  Now add the 1/2 container of whipped topping to the top of the pie, and spread in an even layer.  The topping should be a layer that just sits on the top of the pie.  Lastly, decorate the top of the pie with slices of lime.  Put the pie back into the freezer for at least 5 more hours, so that it will finish freezing before serving.

7. Remove the pie from the freezer 15 minutes before serving, to make it easier to cut.

8. Remove the key lime pie from the spring-form ring.  Cut, sever, and enjoy!

There you have it, only about 8 minutes longer than the first recipe, and absolutely no chance of food poisoning from salmonella!

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