“Don’t Tell Linda” Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie Slice

Oh, Grandma. She really had a flair for both culinary brilliance and secrecy. This time, her recipe card was not tucked into a cookbook or wedged in a bridge manual. No, I found this one pressed flat against the bottom of a puzzle box—inside a half-finished jigsaw of Elvis riding a pink Cadillac. That was Grandma for you: puzzles, pies, and a pinch of paranoia about Linda ever finding out her tricks.

The card was titled simply: “Don’t Tell Linda”.That alone told me it would be good.

A Tangy Twist from the Garden

The recipe looked innocent enough: key lime pie, but with a twist. Instead of just zest and juice, it called for tom yum leaves (yes, those fragrant kaffir lime leaves usually reserved for Thai soups). “Crush and steep in cream,” Grandma had scribbled in her elegant cursive.

“Brilliant,” I thought. “Bright, aromatic, exotic—Grandma was a flavor genius.” And apparently, Linda was not to be trusted with this revelation.

The Mishap (Because There’s Always One)

I steeped the tom yum leaves in warm cream, and the kitchen filled with this intoxicating citrusy perfume. It was going well. Too well. Which is when disaster struck.

I leaned over the pot to inhale deeply—really deeply—and my nose brushed the rising steam. Instantly, the sharp oils hit me like a lime-flavored wasabi bomb. I sneezed so violently that I knocked the cream pot sideways. Half of it sloshed down the counter, directly into the open drawer where my oven mitts live.

Result: key lime–scented mitts for days. (Not unpleasant, just… confusing. Imagine pulling cookies from the oven and wondering why they smelled like Thai soup.)

The Proof is in the Pie

After rescuing what cream I could, I pressed on. The pie came out gorgeously tart, creamy, and layered with a mysterious floral-citrus note that lingered like perfume on the tongue. Absolutely delicious. Definitely not for Linda.

My neighbor stopped by just as it cooled (because of course he did) and asked if I was baking soap. I corrected him by shoving a pie on a plate in his hands. He’s since requested two pies “for scientific purposes.”

Grandma’s “Don’t Tell Linda” Key Lime Pie with Tom Yum Leaves

Ingredients

• 1 pre-baked graham cracker crust

• ½ cup fresh key lime juice

• Zest of 2 key limes

• 4 kaffir (tom yum) lime leaves, lightly crushed

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

• 3 egg yolks

Instructions

1. In a small pot, gently warm the cream with the crushed tom yum leaves. Do not boil—just steep for 10 minutes. Strain and cool.

2. Whisk egg yolks until pale, then stir in condensed milk, lime juice, zest, and infused cream.

3. Pour into the crust and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 15 minutes until just set.

4. Chill thoroughly before serving. Garnish with whipped cream (and a knowing wink).

Best served cold, in quiet triumph, and preferably with Linda nowhere nearby.