Key Lime Pie Fudge

Last Fall, back when it was Allison's birthday, I made two beautiful Key lime pies to celebrate her special day. As I was leaving for work that morning, it occurred to me that I forgot to take photos of it and figured I'd just take some once I arrived at work. Well, those plans came to a screeching halt right after both pies slid off the tray and landed bottom-side-down onto the asphalt. Luckily, they were still edible but the jolt of being smacked to the ground caused them to crack and all my airy whipped cream deflated. I felt so terrible presenting such an ugly dessert, but Allison didn’t care one bit, nor did anyone else that devoured them.

So when I recently learned that Allison would be leaving our team and moving to South Carolina to be closer to her fiancé, I knew right away that it would be my chance to make her another, more blog-worthy Key Lime Pie. However, my plans were foiled a few days later while I was enjoying my daily Tastespotting sashay over lunch. I became charmed by a recipe for Lime Fudge with Macadamia Nuts at Technicolor Kitchen. I knew instantly I had to make this for her instead. While I loved the idea of using normal, everyday Persian limes, I suspected it would work just as well with fresh Key lime zest and juice. I couldn't stop there, could I? I mean, what would Key lime Pie fudge be without graham cracker crust? It would be pretty good too, true, but I knew that including it would really make this fudge extraordinary. (BTW: Do you see the faint smiley face in the photo of the fudge above? :) ) This recipe could not have come out any better, if I do say so myself! Its texture was really smooth and silky, which is directly related to the fact that I used Lindt, which was the best quality of white chocolate I could find in the store. The flavor was great too, just the right amount of tang that was quickly mellowed by the crust. It was pure ecstasy! It was such a huge hit, I was actually a little blindsided how popular it was. People raved! A little words of caution though, it's a bit addictive. So much so my boss said I could call it Key Lime Crack!

Key Lime Pie Fudge
Yield: 64 1-inch squares, although it really depends on how you cut it.
adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

Graham Cracker Crust
Note: The crust is optional. The fudge will still taste great without it.

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

Fudge
3 cups or 4 4-oz bars of good quality white chocolate, finely chopped (
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon finely grated Key lime zest, about 5-6 Key limes*
3 tablespoons lime juice – freshly squeezed is better

Line a square 8"x8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper, extending it up and over pan (this helps you get it out of the pan later). Butter sides and bottom of the pan, especially the corners. Set aside.

If you're making the crust: Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, melt butter in them microwave. Stir in sugar with a fork, braking up any lumps. Add crushed graham crackers and toss to mix well. Spread evenly into the baking pan and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Stir white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a large heavy saucepan over low heat just until chocolate is melted and all the lumps are gone. Remove from heat and stir in zest and juice. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Cover and chill for two hours or overnight. Lift the fudge from pan using edges of foil. Peel off foil and use a heavy non-serrated knife to cut the fudge into one-inch pieces. (Tip: Keep a damp kitchen towel handy to clean off the knife after each cut. This will keep give your fudge a cleaner appearance.)

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

* Zesting the limes - Be sure to wash the limes in hot, soapy water before zesting them. I like to scrub mine with a wet terry cloth towel to get all the wax off. Be sure they are totally dry before zesting. Also, Key limes are really small and their zest is thin. Go very slowly when zesting each lime as you'll be at the pith (white part) after just one or two passes. I highly recommend using a Microplane Grater/Zester which makes short work of the task.