Mini key lime and ginger pies recipe

This month, our baking blogger Anneliese Giggins has created deliciously tangy mini key lime pies. Made with a spicy ginger base, these tasty little puds are so easy to make and are perfect for all occasions

Ingredients

For the biscuit base:

• 75g unsalted butter
• 200g gingernut biscuits

For the topping:

• 397g condensed milk (you can use the light version, 405g tin – it doesn't make any difference. I tried it with both)
• 284ml double cream
• The juice from 5 limes and the finely grated zest from 1 lime.

Method

1. First of all place the muffin cases into your muffin tin.
2. Weigh the butter, then place into a small saucepan over a low heat to melt. While you wait for the butter to give in to the heat, weigh your biscuits then place into a sandwich or freezer bag. You can use a blender or food processor to produce fine crumbs, but I quite enjoy using a rolling pin to bash the living daylights out of the biscuits. Be warned, gingernuts are quite firm, so you may have a sore arm and a red face by the time you have finished! Once the butter has melted you can pour the biscuit crumbs into the saucepan and mix to combine. The mixture is now ready to be spooned as equally as possible into the base of each muffin case. Be sure to press the buttery biscuit mixture firmly into each case with the back of your spoon.
3. While you leave the biscuit bases to set you can get on with the simple filling. Pour the condensed milk and double cream straight into your mixing bowl. As you require the grated zest from one lime, add this before adding the juice. I have discovered that it is quite tricky to try to remove the zest once the lime has been cut in half and emptied of juice! Also, make sure it is grated very finely otherwise you will have big lumps of zest in your pies. Once all of the juice and zest have been added to the condensed milk and double cream, use a balloon whisk to combine it all together. The mixture will start off very runny. DO NOT PANIC!! Within a few seconds it will thicken up like magic!
4. Once your biscuit bases are set and firm, they are ready to receive the delicious lime topping. Dollop generous spoonfuls on top of each base until all the mixture has been used up. Smooth the surfaces with the back of your spoon, then place into your fridge for a minimum of two hours. I know waiting is torture but you can console yourself by licking out the bowl!
5. When the time has finally passed you can remove your pies from the tins and peel off the paper. The topping is meant be on the soft side but it should hold its shape once the paper has been removed. Your work is done and you can now reward yourself with one, or more likely two, mini key lime and ginger pies. I really hope you enjoy making and most importantly eating them!