Key Lime Bars
- Makes about 16
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, plus 2/3 cup fresh key lime juice (about 23 key limes total)
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
For the Garnish
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Key limes, thinly sliced
Directions
- Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (Leave oven on.)
- Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.
- Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula. Bake, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Cut into 2-by-2 inch bars. Put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peeks form. Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime. Ungarnished bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Note: Line baking dish with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper.
Note: Lime zest is slightly bitter in bars and it gets caught on the whisk when mixing.
Source: Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies, December 2005, Page 103.