On a recent trip to Pensacola, Florida, my husband and I ate at a restaurant called the Fish House..where we had the Best Key Lime Pie I've Ever Had!!! And it turns out, their recipe is on the internet. Naturally, I had to try it out when I got home. It was fantastic, although my meringue was slightly different because I didn't have the exact kind of sugar...and I put in one more egg white. Either way, it was delicious.
Preheat oven to 350ยบ
Crush graham crackers in food processor until you've got fine crumbs. (If you don't have a food processor, place them in a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.) Add sugar and melted butter. Combine all ingredients well and place in a 9" spring form pan or pie plate. Press down on bottom and along sides to form a pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes.
Whisk together key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 10 minutes.
While pie is baking, place egg whites and cream of tartar in mixing bowl and use an electric hand mixer to beat them until soft peaks form. Gradually add in sugar a little at a time and continue beating on high until stiff peaks form.
Remove pie from oven and carefully spread meringue on top of pie. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until meringue tips start to brown. Cool and chill in refrigerator a minimum of 2 hours before serving.