I love the fresh tart-sweet taste of key lime pie any time of year. It is cooling in the summer, and a mood-lifter in the winter. This key lime tart features an easy crust that practically makes itself in a food processor, and an even easier filling. It is a great candidate for making ahead of time when preparing your big holiday feast.

The one thing that makes this dessert a little more labor intensive is the key lime juice. You need to squeeze a whole heckuva lot of key limes to get a half cup of juice. I bought a 1 pound bag from my grocery store and found that I needed to squeeze almost all of them. The tool that I have and love, which makes juicing lemons and limes a breeze is this hand juicer. I definitely recommend it as part of your arsenal.

Do you have to use key limes? No, feel free to use regular limes, and nobody will judge you. I would stick to fresh juice though.

Key Lime Tart with a Pecan Coconut Crust

Serves 6-8

For the crust:

• 8 whole graham crackers
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), melted
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the filling:

• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (most of a 1 pound bag of key limes)
• 2 whole egg yolks
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• whipped cream, for topping
• lime zest, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch tart pan lightly with baking spray.

To make the crust: In a food processor, process the graham crackers until finely ground. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse a few times to combine. Add the pecans and pulse until coarsely ground. Add coconut and pulse 3 or 4 times.

Press into your prepared tart pan, spreading it evenly with your fingers and pressing firmly both on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 5 minutes, and then set aside and let cool while making the filling.

To make the filling: Mix lime zest, lime juice, and egg yolks in a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth and thick (it won't take long). Pour the mixture into your crust and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing and serving. Top with whipped cream and lime zest, if using.

Adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine and Pioneer Woman.