Last weekend I had the pleasure attending my cousin Michael’s 40th birthday held at my Aunt Kathy’s house. The great thing about any party at the Werner’s is you know there will be plenty of laughs and amazing food.

My cousin Liz, Michael’s sister was in charge of the food, and boy, was there plenty of it. The menu ranged from homemade flatbreads on the grill served with hummus and tzatziki, to homemade macaroni and cheese, filet mignon, halibut, and a to-die-for frozen key lime pie for dessert, recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

This was hands down the best dessert I have had all summer. I’m not much of a dessert girl if you couldn’t already tell from all of my savory recipes, but this had the perfect tang after a heavy meal, sort of like a sorbet to cleanse the palate.

It’s nice and light and will go well with any summer meal. Not to mention, it’s served partially frozen to cool you down!

For the crust you will need:

- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

For the filling:

- 6 extra large egg yolks at room temp.

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

- 2 tablespoons grated lime zest

- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

For the decoration:

- 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- Thin lime wedges

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime wedges. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Note: Remove the pie from the freezer fifteen minutes before serving. This is a dessert everyone will love!