Key Lime Pie With A Pretzel Crust

1 cup, plus 2 Tbs very finely ground salted pretzel crumbs
3 Tbs sugar
7 Tbs butter, melted
4 large egg yolks
2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup key lime juice
3 Tbs lime juice (the juice of 1 lime)
zest of 1 lime (about 2 tsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick baking spray.
2) Crush the pretzels until very fine; processing in a food processor for about 30 seconds works well.
3) Add the sugar and melted butter, mixing to combine; you can do this right in the food processor. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Pour pie weights in, to maintain the shape of the crust.
4) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust has firmed up. Remove the pie weights.
5) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and condensed milk.
6) Add the lime juices and zest. Mix well, though the mixture should thicken almost immediately.
7) Pour into the crust and smooth with a spatula.
8) Bake the pie for 28 to 32 minutes, until the filling is set, with a small spot in the middle still soft-looking. Cool and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, before serving.
9) To serve, garnish with crumbled pretzels.

Review: I used unsalted pretzels, as I feared the crust would be too salty otherwise. I did sprinkle the crust with a bit of salt before tossing it into the oven to bake. I was super excited to make this, as I don't usually include zest in recipes because it's a waste of a lime. However, this recipe actually used the juice from said lime, so I pulled out my microplane and zested away. Nothing was wasted and I got to do something a little fancy! Everyone raved about the pie. The consistency was great all the way through and the flavor was a bit on the tangy side. I wonder if leaving out the regular lime juice and subbing in extra key lime juice would have made it less tangy.

Adapted from:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/key-lime-pie-with-a-pretzel-crust-recipe