Chocolate Key Lime Pie

This is recipe has gone straight into top ten favourite dinner party desserts, ticking every box along the way - it's super easy to make, you can prepare it the night before, oh and it tastes fantastic too!

I chose to make this recipe as part of this month's We Should Cocoa challenge. Each month, participants have to make a recipe that includes chocolate and another pre-selected ingredient.

This month's challenge is being hosted by Chele of The Chocolate Teapot and the extra ingredient is lime which was a fantastic choice. I love cooking with limes and immediately thought of two chocolate lime recipes that I'd come across recently in Nigella's Kitchen book. I ummed and ahhed for ages but eventually settled on this one and I am so glad I did (the runner up was Chocolate Lime Cake with Margherita Cream). It really is so straightforward to make (I think it took about 30 minutes tops) and I absolutely loved the lime/chocolate combination. A 5 star recipe for sure.

Chocolate Key Lime Pie

(adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

300g/10 1/2 oz digestive biscuits

1 x 15ml tablespoon cocoa powder

50g/1 3/4 oz soft unsalted butter

50g/1 3/4 oz dark chocolate chips

1 x 397g can condensed milk, preferably chilled

4 limes to give approx 2 x 15ml tablespoons finely grated lime zest and 175ml juice

300ml double cream

1 square best quality dark chocolate

1 x 23cm x 5cm deep fluted tart tin with loose base

1) Put the biscuits, cocoa powder, butter and chocolate chips into a food processor and process to a dark, damp sandy consistency. Tip into the tart tin and press on to the base and up the sides. Place in the fridge to chill.

2) Pour the condensed milk into a bowl (and if you're using a tin be VERY careful when you lick the lid - which you will). Zest the limes into another bowl and reserve for decoration later. Add the juice of the limes to the condensed milk, whisking to mix.

3) Pour in the double cream and whisk together - in a freestanding mixed or with a hand-held one - until thick, then spoon the mixture into the chilled biscuit crust and use the back of the spoon to finish off the top in a swirly fashion.

4) Chill the pie in the fridge for 4 hours (if the condensed milk was chilled), until firm or, ideally, covered overnight. When you are ready to serve, unmould the pie from the tart tin, but leave it on the base.

5) Grate the chocolate to give a light dusting to the top of the pie then sprinkle with the lime zest. Serve immediately, as it will become soft if kept out of the fridge for too long.

Serves 6-8

The pie can be made 1 day in advance. When chilled and firm, tent with foil (try not to touch the surface of the pie with the foil as it will leave marks) and store in the fridge. Store the zest in a bowl, tightly covered with clingfilm. Decorate with zest just before serving. The pie with keep for a total of 2-3 days in the fridge.