THE SHAPE OF WATER + KEY LIME PIE

So many things to love about this movie (streaming on Hulu) including the color scheme of blues and greens and the utter delightfulness of Sally Hawkins dancing. Plus it won a TON of awards, including Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.

Bonus points for meeting the Bechdel test, having a female writer, and demonstrating gender balance in key areas of production.

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Doug Jones

Screenplay by: Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor

“Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with your love. It humbles my heart, for you are everywhere.”

“Yes, pie’s for breakfast! Just trust me on this.” - Giles to Elisa

Key Lime Pie (recipe from A Classic Twist: https://aclassictwist.com/classic-key-lime-pie-recipe/)

For the crust:

1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs (a little more than one sleeve of graham crackers, finely processed)

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks

1/2 c. key lime juice (I needed 28 limes so use bottled if you can find it!)

2 tsp. lime zest

Green food coloring

For the topping:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

To make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the inside of a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until combined and resembles wet sand. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pie dish. Bake crust for 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely.

To make the filling:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth and slightly thickened. Add in the key lime juice and zest, and whisk for about a minute until well combined and thickened. Add 30 drops of food coloring and whisk to combine. Pour the filling into the prepared cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Transfer pie to cooling rack and let it cool completely at room temperature. Then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight until set.

When ready to serve, whisk the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar on medium-high heat until soft peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream.