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For the first time since joining the Whip It Up challenge, I think I am actually doing the suggested theme in the week it is suggested, but really, who doesn’t like to make dessert?  I had this recipe for Key Lime pie floating around in my recipe box, ripped out of a magazine, sadly waiting to be whipped up.  Last weekend I threw my first ever quasi-dinner party.  I made Cafe Rio goodness FROM SCRATCH (for all ya’ll not familiar, that means slow-roasted Pork Barbacoa, Cilantro Rice, Creamy Tomatillo dressing, fresh Pico, and black beans.  It was a blast, and I promise to post the recipe(s) on Friday for my final Whip It Up cooking adventure.  So come back, ok?)  At any rate, with all this Mexican food, I wanted a dessert that would be small-ish, but absolutely fantastic.  My solution?  Key lime pie + baked in a cupcake tin and VIOLA!  Pie-cakes!  I switched out the graham cracker crust for vanilla wafers, and topped the whole thing with freshly whipped cream and a slice of lime.  My mouth is actually watering just thinking about these.  If anyone asks, I only had two.  (If we’re being honest, I may or may not have eaten four.)

You know the drill, the recipe will be after the break; here’s the nitty gritties:

• Total Prep-Time:  20 minutes (5 mins prep, 15 mins bake), let cool 1 hour, refrigerate until time to serve no more than 6 hours or so or they start to get soggy. 
• Was the recipe easy to follow: Ohmygoodness, yes.  Easiest thing EVER! 
• Are the ingredients easy to find: Any grocery store, any season.  This recipe made about 10 pie-cakes, I would definitely suggest making a double batch for a party.  I my guests did not have nearly enough pie-cakes.  I am listing a single batch recipe, which fits into a 9″ graham cracker pie-crust, ya know, if you’re interested.
• Do you need special equipment: I love my lime juicer, but it is not required.
• Does the end result taste delicious:  Fantastic.  Again, I ate “two.”  This is a fancy-looking dessert with restaurant quality taste, and it takes absolutely no time and no skill.  Highly recommended.

Key Lime Pie-cakes
Preheat oven to 350

Filling:
4 egg yolks
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (this was three full-size limes, I didn’t use key limes)
(You will also need one more lime for garnish, which I will discuss later)

Stir until smooth.

Crush about 20 Vanilla Wafers into large-ish pieces and layer into cupcake papers in cupcake tin. Pour about 1/3 cup of lime filling into each cup, make sure to cover all the pieces of cookie.

Bake for 15 minutes, let cool on rack for about an hour.  Remove pie-cakes from pan and refrigerate (I put them on a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf so they wouldn’t get squooshed.)  When ready to serve, top with a dollop of whipped cream (see recipe below).  Slice the remaining lime very thin, then slice from the center to the rind and twist slightly for a whipped-cream topper.  (This is much harder to explain than I thought…it’s pretty, it’s green, see the first picture of my pie-cakes if you are confused over what I’m trying to explain here.)

Whipped Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 TB powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

Mix with an electric mixer, on high, until cream starts to peak and get thick.  Use generously on pie-cakes, coffee, strawberries, peaches, whatever.  This made just enough whipped cream for 10 pie-cakes, if you are going to double this recipe, double the whipped cream as well, no use having fabulous dessert and then having to be stingy with the whipped cream.