Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

So I recently treated myself to a new Nordicware bundt pan and since I've been pinning recipes for quite some time I had quite the decision on my hands with which one to try first! I turned to the help of my facebook friends and put it to a vote - and this one was the winner! Brown Eyed Baker's lovely blueberry lemon bundt cake with a powdered sugar glaze - oh, so wonderfully yummy! I highly encourage you to try this when you get the chance!

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/07/03/blueberry-lemon-buttermilk-bundt-cake/

Banana Pudding Cupcakes

As a Southern girl, I pride myself in love of "traditional" Southern flavors - sweet tea, shrimp & grits and of course, banana pudding! What church dinner or gathering is complete without a huge dish of this delectable dessert? And when you luck up and get it still warm out of the oven? Wow. Nothing better! I am so very excited with the way the cupcake version of this most beloved treat turned out, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

4 cups mini Nilla wafers, finely crumbed

4 tbsp melted unsalted butter

3 cups cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

16 tbsp. (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:

One 3.4oz box Jell-O Banana Cream instant pudding

Two ripe bananas

For the frosting:

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners. For your Nilla wafer crust, you'll take the finely crumbed Nilla wafers (I pulsed mine in my food processor for a few moments) and mix them with the melted butter in a small bowl until completely combined. Take a spoonful of your mixture (just enough to cover the bottom of each cupcake liner) add to each cupcake liner, and press down (I used the bottom of a small, clean cup) to compact a little.

On to the cupcakes! In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.  Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and discard the pod. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and creamy in color.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.  Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

While cupcakes are baking or cooling (completely up to you, this is so quick to make!) prepare your pudding filling according to directions on box. Peel and chop the bananas and fold into prepared pudding and place in fridge until needed.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl set over a pan of a few inches of simmering water. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. 

To Fill/Complete Cupcakes:
To fill my cupcakes, I simply used an apple corer - love those! Discard cupcake removed by corer. Fill space with a small spoonful of banana pudding mixture. To achieve the look of my cupcakes, I simply filled a disposable decorating bag with the meringue, snipped the tip off with scissors and piped a messy spiral of meringue on each cupcake. I then used a small spatula to "fluff" into peaks until I was satisfied with the look and placed in my preheated oven under the broiler to brown the meringue - caution - if you use the broiler as I did, keep an eye on your cupcakes! You could even keep your oven door open and watch them, they'll brown so quickly in a preheated oven! Enjoy!

Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Fluffy Lime Cupcakes

It has been HOT around here. Quite so. So much so, that I thought it called for a nice cool, refreshing cupcake. (When CAN'T a cupcake fix a problem really?!) After picking up a bag of limes at the store, I knew just what to do! ;)

Fluffy Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcake Batter
2 ¼ Cups Cake Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 ¼ Cups Buttermilk (at room temp)
4 Large Egg Whites (at room temp)
1½ Cups Sugar
1½ Tablespoons Fresh Lime Zest
½ Cup Unsalted Butter (at room temp)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1 Teaspoon Key Lime Extract

Lime Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 Large Egg Whites
1 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 lb (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened, Cut into Cubes
2 Tsp Key Lime Extract
Pinch of Salt

Garnish
Lime slices (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in another bowl. Put the sugar and lime zest in a mixer bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and with the paddle attachment beat at medium speed with a stand mixer until ingredients are light and fluffy. Beat in the extract and lime juice, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Mix in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, mixing until the batter is well mixed, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Continue beating the mixture for another few minutes to ensure that the batter is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the swiss meringue. Add egg whites and sugar to standing mixer bowl, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 160 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on medium speed continously, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). Add key lime flavoring and salt, mix well.

Fill a piping bag with a fitted tip. Pipe on the buttercream on top of cooled cupcakes. Garnish with lime slices and enjoy! :)

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Cloud Frosting

Tried a new recipe today! And I HIGHLY encourage you all to do the same - especially if you love chocolate and Nutella as much as I do - oh my goodness!! Wonderfully moist, chocolatey cupcakes topped with pillowy rich chocolate frosting - heaven. Just Heaven. I've included a link to the recipe via Sweetapolita's blog below - hope you enjoy as much as I did! :)
https://sites.google.com/site/sweetapolitaprintables/chocolate-birthday-cupcakes-with-nutella-cloud-frosting

Campfire Delight Cupcakes

Mmm...these cupcakes. These heavenly, chocolatey cupcakes. I must admit, when I first saw these posted on Sweetapolita's blog, I didn't immediately say, "I must make these!!" It was the malt. The malt held me back. But I'm so glad I finally pushed aside my petty malt problems and tried these - oh, so very glad! Dark chocolate cupcakes with toasted marshmallow filling, malted dark chocolate frosting, dark chocolate sprinkles and malt balls on top - these are a chocolate (and marshmallow) lovers' paradise! Please don't wait as long as I did to try them! ;o)
http://sweetapolita.com/2011/05/campfire-delight-cupcakes/

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Yes, I have been rather busy trying out new recipes :) But that's just always so much fun for me (as long as they work out anyway). And such was the case with this yummy carrot cake! I've never been a huge fan of carrot cake, it's okay, but definitely not a favorite. I'll always choose chocolate any day (sorry, carrots). But I found this lovely carrot cake cupcake on Food Buzz and just the beauty of it astounded me - I simply had to make it! It uses whole wheat flour to give you a slightly less dense cake - you keep a lighter crumb without it being dry at all - it's really quite perfect in my opinion! Please try this lovely carrot cake recipe, you won't be sorry! I've included a link to the recipe below:
http://bravetart.com/recipes/CarrotCake

Samoa Cupcakes

I have to say first off - these cupcakes were such a pleasant surprise for me! I am as BIG a non-coconut fan as is possible. I don't mind the flavor, I just despise the texture of coconut more than anything - just ick for me! But I found I really enjoy toasted coconut as was featured on these cupcakes and the coconut infused chocolate cupcake as well - all super tasty together! So yes, I'm growing up a little - trying new things such as these Samoa cupcakes: coconut-infused chocolate cupcakes with an old-fashioned cooked caramel frosting, melted chocolate drizzle and sprinkling of toasted coconut! Two thumbs-up from this baker! I've included a link to the recipe below so you can try this amazing Girl Scout cookie inspired cupcake for yourself :)
http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/04/01/samoas-cupcakes/

Peanuts & Coca-Cola Cupcakes

As soon as I saw this recipe post on Sprinkle Bakes' blog, I knew I had to try them for myself! Having grown up in North Carolina, throwing salted peanuts in a bottle of Coke was as natural as breathing to me when I was little! Oh, the memories this one simple recipe evoked...! I highly recommend trying her recipe for yourself even if you're not familiar with the Southern practice of Peanuts & Coke - you won't be sorry :)
I've posted a link to her recipe below.

http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2012/04/peanuts-in-my-coke-cocoa-cola-cupcakes.html

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

So I've done peanut butter buttercream before, yes but the traditional "american" buttercream which was good - don't get me wrong! But, it was a tricky balance to get right - almost too easy to make it too dry for my taste. Now Swiss Meringue on the other hand...oh, this stuff is dreamy! The dreamy stuff that dreams are made of! Seriously, folks - you must try this buttercream! When paired with my chocolate espresso cupcake and topped off with a mini peanut butter cup - mmm...heaven! <3 I will say the two times I've made this swiss meringue it's come out much thinner than other flavor varieties and if I can find a way to alter that, I'll be sure to post the correction, but it's still good for piping on cupcakes - wouldn't advise using as a filling on cakes though.

Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:

5 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 - 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, to taste

Add egg whites and brown sugar to bowl of electric mixer and simmer over a pot of water, whisking gently, until temp reaches 140 degrees, or until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot, about 8 minutes if you used room temp egg whites.

Place the bowl back onto the mixer stand and with whisk attachment, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (can take up to 10 minutes or so). Switch to paddle attachment and with mixer on low speed, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if it curdles, keep mixing on medium low and it will come back to smooth).

Add vanilla flavoring and peanut butter and continue to beat on low speed until well combined. (I had to increase the speed on my mixer to fluff it up a bit before piping on my cupcakes).

Coffee Squared Cupcakes

This is yet another one of those instances where I'd like to smack myself in the forehead and say, "You dummy! Why haven't you thought of this before?!" Mocha cupcakes -AND- latte buttercream?! Can you say, "Heaven" for a coffee-junkie such as I?! Oh, such a yummy combination! I have truly become quite the SMBC addict - I have yet to try a variation I didn't like!

Cupcake Ingredients: (Makes appx 24)

3/4 cup strong hot coffee

3 tsp instant espresso powder

3/4 cup dark cocoa

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners

Whisk together coffee, espresso powder and cocoa in a small bowl and set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder in another small bowl and set aside. Measure out buttermilk and mix with vanilla extract and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each egg in thoroughly and scraping the side of the bowl before adding the next egg. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and mix until combined. Repeat, ending with the last of the flour mixture. Add the cocoa and coffee mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in sour cream.

Divide equally into prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 16-18 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool thoroughly on wire racks before frosting.

Vanilla Bean Latte Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients:

5 large egg whites

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Either 1 scraped vanilla bean -or- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

2 tbsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 4 tsp hot water, let cool before adding

Pinch of salt

Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with vinegar on paper towel, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on medium speed continuously, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). Add vanilla, vanilla beans (or paste) and salt, mix well. Slowly add in cooled espresso/water mixture – it will take just a little while for this to incorporate fully, give it some time! You can scrape your bowl once or twice and whip well, then fill your piping bag and enjoy!! (For those interested, I used the Wilton 2D tip to achieve the look in the photo.)

I topped my cupcakes with dark chocolate coated espresso beans for even more coffee kick :)

Cool Mint Oreo Cupcakes

I've been really excited at all the variations of Oreos in the grocery store lately - so many choices it can be quite daunting! I'd been eying the cool mint oreos for a while now though, and when I stumbled upon a mint oreo cupcake - well, that made up my mind for me! The cupcake recipe is a nice time-saver as it uses a chocolate boxed mix for the base with a few additions (still comes out super tasty!) and I paired it with my basic buttercream recipe with finely crumbed cool mint oreos and peppermint flavoring added in. If you're a fan of chocolate and mint, I highly encourage you to give these a go! :)

Cool Mint Oreo Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

24 Mint Oreos

Box Chocolate Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines Devils Food)

1 stick of butter, melted

1 cup water

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place half an Oreo in the bottom of each liner with cookie side down, cream side up. Save the remaining cream-less half of each cookie for your buttercream.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine cake mix, melted butter, water and eggs. Beat on low for one minute. Scrape sides of bowl and increase speed to high. Beat for another minute.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for about 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.

For Buttercream:

30 Mint Oreos halves, crushed completely into superfine crumbs (I used my food processor)

4 sticks of butter, softened

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat on low until just mixed. Gradually add salt, flavorings and buttermilk. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat for additional minute. Add cookie crumbs and beat on low until well combined.

Pipe frosting on cupcakes and top with a halved Oreo, if desired. Enjoy!

*Cupcake recipe adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

So despite my extremely busy baking schedule over the weekend, I picked up some raspberries at the grocery store with the intention of using them in a cupcake at some point in time. When I remembered Sweetapolita's recipe for Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Buttercream Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze, I knew I'd found what I needed! :) Oh, raspberry swiss meringue - there simply are no words! I chose to keep my raspberries whole and tossed them into my vanilla swiss meringue at the end which gave you lovely jewel-like pieces of raspberries peeking through the buttercream - so pretty! I highly encourage you to try both the dark chocolate cupcake and the raspberry meringue buttercream - so richly wonderful!!
https://sites.google.com/site/sweetapolitaprintables/dark-chocolate-raspberry-buttercream-cupcakes-with-chocolate-glaze-1

Tiramisu Cupcakes

An Italian themed luncheon for my Son's teachers proved the perfect opportunity to try out a recipe I've had stashed away in my "to-do" file - Tiramisu cupcakes! Extremely light, fluffy vanilla bean cupcakes, double-brushed with coffee syrup, topped with mascarpone cream cheese frosting, a dusting of cocoa powder and a chocolate coffee bean!

Ingredients:

* For the cake
* 1 1/4 cups cake flour
* 3/4 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
* 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
* 3 large eggs + 3 egg yolks, at room temp
* 1 cup sugar
* For the coffee syrup
* 8 Tbsp strongly brewed coffee
* 1/4 cup sugar
* For the frosting
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 8oz mascarpone
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1/2 cup powdered sugar
* Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
* Chocolate coffee beans, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line two muffin pans with paper liners (24 total). Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add milk, butter, vanilla bean paste, and butter. Heat in 15 second intervals until butter is melted.
2. Whisk the eggs by hand over a simmering pot of water for 6 minutes, until warm. Then move mixer bowl to your stand mixer. Whisk mixture until pale, fluffy and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when the whisk is lifted.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer set on low, add flour mixture and slowly add the milk mixture, mixing until just combined. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean. Let sit in pan until just warm to the touch. Using a knife or fork, gently poke 4-5 holes in each cupcake (you want to give the syrup a way to travel down the cupcake but you don't want to tear up the cupcake).
4. To make the coffee: Mix coffee and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Using a silicone pastry brush, brush the tops of the cupcakes, letting the first round soak in completely before making another pass. Repeat until all of the syrup has been used.
5. Make the mascarpone frosting: With the whisk attachment, whip the cream on high until stiff peaks just form. Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla and whisk on medium-high for 1-2 minutes. Frost cupcakes when they have completely cooled. Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder and chocolate coffee beans.

*Adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream (Recipe)

Please don't get me wrong - I am NOT trying to rush the Holidays upon us at all with this post!! Just thinking in the essence of my love of planning ahead (and assuming that there are others out there who might like to do the same) I thought I'd share what was one of my favorite recipes from last Christmas! I paired this with one of my favorite chocolate cupcakes, but I just have to say - if you're a fan of the peppermint Hershey Kisses that come out right about this time of year (the red and white striped ones?) you MUST try this frosting recipe!!! You will be in love! I topped my cupcakes with peppermints, which turned out quite lovely - however, I will say that once they spent some time in the fridge the peppermints turned (for lack of a better word) "goopy" and the red coloring actually ran off the peppermint!! Thinking if I make more of these this year, I might just use some of the Peppermint Hershey Kisses instead :)

White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream
12 ounces butter, softened
4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract
Red food coloring (optional)
Peppermint candies

Prepare the buttercream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the confectioner's sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled white chocolate until well combined. Add enough of the heavy cream until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency for piping or spreading and beat on high speed for 1 minute more. Beat in 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (depending on how strong you want the peppermint flavor to be.) Color with red food coloring, if desired. (I used a small paint brush to stripe the inside of my decorating bag before placing the icing inside it to achieve the candy stripe look of my icing swirls on my cupcakes.)
Pipe or spread the buttercream decoratively onto the cupcakes and top with a peppermint candy or crushed peppermint candies.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

We all know I'm pumpkin crazy (and if you didn't before...well, you do now) so when I found this recipe by blogger Brown Eyed Baker, I've SO been looking forward to trying it out! A breakfast treat for my daughter's teachers proved the perfect opportunity :) A pumpkin muffin filled with all the most wonderful spices, cinnamon cream cheese filling and a cinnamon streusel topping completed this breakfast treat! I will most definitely be making this again and I strongly encourage you to try it out as well! *Note - I did omit the pecans listed in the original recipe as there were nut allergies at school and the streusel was still outrageously delicious! http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/10/18/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-pecan-streusel/

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Mmm...pumpkin. It cannot officially be Fall until I see a few of these lovelies out and about on steps (or at least in your local grocery store which can happen as early as July) but even more than the pumkin itself...when I hear that long awaited confirmation, "Yes! We'll have the Pumpkin Spice Latte starting next week! (so stop asking, pesky coffee junkie)" at my local Starbucks! Yay, Fall!! When blogger Annie's Eats posted this recipe - it was ON. The only thing that held me back - the making of the vanilla bean caramel sauce. And I'm not talking about the can in a slow-cooker method. I'm talking melting down white sugar. In a pot. Without BURNING IT. Yikes. After hemming and hawing for a few weeks, desire got the best of me and I had to at least try. And you know what? It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it'd be - turned out beautifully in fact! The most heavenly treat of a caramel sauce I have ever tasted! Let's pretend the neighbors didn't see me dancing around my kitchen along to shouts of, "I am woman! I have made caramel sauce - like a GROWNUP! A real chef even! HA!" Ahem. The cupcakes - were spectacular! A coffee-infused pumpkin cupcake brushed with coffee before topping with fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of the MOST FABULOUS vanilla bean caramel sauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon - bellissima! Please check out Annie's Eats for even more wonderful pumpkin recipes too! http://annies-eats.net/2011/09/06/pumpkin-spice-latte-cupcakes/

Heavenly Key Lime Pie

I have confessed in the past to Key Lime Pie being one of my absolute favorite desserts of Summer and after making it over the weekend, I thought I'd share what's in my opinion, the best recipe I've yet to come across!

Heavenly Key Lime Pie (as adapted from Southern Living Magazine)

Ingredients:
1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
2 tsp key lime zest (which I omitted for my quick version!)
1/2 cup key lime juice
1-9in. graham cracker pie crust
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together condensed milk and next three ingredients until well blended. Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until pie is set. Cool completely on a wire rack (about an hour). Chill in refrigerator one hour before serving. Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until soft peaks form, gradually adding powdered sugar. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with key lime slices if desired.

*So I totally cheated this time around and went the "quick, fast & in a hurry" route with the recipe! I didn't use fresh key limes - we visited A Southern Season yesterday and I picked up more of the same bottled key lime juice that I used in my Key Lime Cupcakes - a brand called "Nellie & Joe's", so I was a little worried about how it might turn out as I'd actually squeezed all those tiny key limes by hand last go-round! Turned out wonderfully!! I couldn't tell any difference in taste and still had use of my hands afterwords, which was also nice to say the least! :)