Oh So Creamy And Fluffy Key Lime Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

CRUST
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
FILLING
5 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1.5 (21 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup key lime juice (ex ( Nellie & Joe famous Key West key lime juice)
sweetened whipped cream (to garnish) or Cool Whip (to garnish)

Preparation

CRUST:
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all the ingredients and then press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9\" glass pie plate.
Bake for 8 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Turn the oven down to 300.
*~OR Use a store bought deep dish graham cracker crust~*.
FILLING:
Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese, condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice to combine.
In a seperate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks begin to form. (When you lift up the beaters, the peaks should hold and still look glossy).
Fold into the cream cheese/lime mixture until just combined. Don't over mix - this is what gives the pie it's fluffy texture.
Pour into the cooled pie crust and bake for 25 minutes or until set. Pie will be solid with just a little wiggle in the middle when moved.
Remove from oven. Cool and refridgerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
TO SERVE:
Garnish with whipped cream or cool whip and a little key lime sauce from debloves2cook recipe #166790.
GF VARIATION:
Mix 1 1/2 cups crushed gluten free chocolate chex and 5 tablespoons melted butter for the crust (Don't need to add any extra sugar because the chex is already sweetened.)
Continue with directions above.