Key Lime Cheesecake Pie

I know I promised that I would branch out and stop stealing recipes from smittenkitchen. Nearly a full month later I am making good on my promise. I found this recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake bars from a ridiculous publication called "Clean Eating," I indifferently take them out of my mailbox every month and leaf through them for 20 mins and immediately dump them in the recycling bin. I found a reasonably good-looking recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake bars. I have been wanting to make something with Key Limes since Cinco De Mayo. I just baked these in a pie dish and refuse to cut them into squares. In my opinion, squares are the lowest form of desserts. It's the most boring presentation imaginable for something that should be the dreamy, fantastic finale to a meal.

This recipes calls for some fruity things, like evaporated cane juice, Neufchatel cheese, and "all-natural whole-wheat graham cracker squares," whatever the hell those are, but you know what to do: Just use white sugar, cream cheese, and honey maid graham cracker squares. I also think ginger snaps would be stellar for the crust for next time. I would also replace sour cream with plain greek yogurt, I always do, but due to a rip in space/time I found myself with sour cream but no greek yogurt D:

This recipe needs about 1/4 c. more sugar. While this cake is lovely, as is almost anything containing key limes, it is lacking a certain sweetness that I am used to. The more I eat it the more I think it might be better this way, but no, it's probably better with more sugar, like most things.

I'm also including some photos of my adorable strawberry plant that will probably yield me a good 8! berries this season (not all at once either) and other general garden photos. I also bought some carrots to grow in the huge planters out front as long as the deer don't eat them.

Also, in a step I probably should have taken initially, I will put all the photos first and list the recipe at the end for easy copy/paste. I doubt that I will go back and retroactively apply this change throughout, but maybe if I'm bored later.

Key Lime Cheesecake Pie
Ingredients:
7 rectangular sheets of graham crackers
3 tbsp butter, melted 8 oz cream cheese
1 c. sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1/2 (+1/4?) c. of sugar
1 tbsp lime zest (from 2 limes)
1/2 c. fresh lime juice (same 2 limes!)
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a pie pan with non-stick spray/butter the dish.
2. In a food processor, smash the graham crackers until they are fine. With the machine running, pour in the melted butter. Process for another 2-3 seconds. Transfer the mixture to the pan and press it into the bottom forming an even layer all around. Bake for 9 minutes, until edges are light brown. Cool slightly.
3. Reduce oven to 325. Process the cream cheese and sour cream in food processor until smooth (about 1 min). Add sugar, lime zest, and juice (I also added 4 drops of green food coloring here because it gives it extra flavor ;) process until smooth. Add egg and process until just combined. Spread/pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
4. Bake for 38-40 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 before covering with plastic wrap/tin foil and placing it in the refrigerator to set for about 8 hours. Garnish with extra lime zest here if you like.