Key Lime Bars

Chocolate is amazing and all, but I find that in the summer especially, I get to craving other things (don't tell Kip I said that). Enter the berries, citrus, ices, and stone fruits.

As for non-chocolate desserts, this was a very good place to begin this summer. In fact, writing about these makes me want to eat them RIGHT NOW. So it's probably good they're all eaten up. They were so delicious and refreshing and sweet without being cloying. They'd be perfect for pretty much any summer activity ever. Amen and amen.

(I put lime zest on the top to "decorate." 

It looked like chopped broccoli. 

You win some; you lose some.)

Key Lime Bars
adapted from Little Spice Jar
Makes 16 squares
Prep and cook time: 40 minutes
Cool time: 3 hours
Cost: $3.25
graham crackers: .70, pecans: .20, sugar: .10, butter: .50, eggs: .30, sweetened condensed milk: 1.00, limes: .45 (Asian store pricing),

12 large graham cracker rectangles
2-4 Tbsp pecans
1/3 C sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, melted
3 egg yolks
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
4 tsp lime zest (2 limes or so)
1/2 C key lime juice (or regular lime juice)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 inch pan.

In blender or food processor, combine graham crackers, pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. Ground it to powder. (Alternately, like if you need your workout for the day or something, you can put this stuff in a bag and crush it with a rolling pin or the sheer strength of your inhuman arms, but I always take the low road and blend it).

Dump it into your pan and add the melted butter. Mix together and press into the bottom of the pan. It should be a lovely thick crust.

Bake for 10 minutes.

While it's baking whisk the yolks for two minutes (I used a kitchenaid, but a mixer will work). Add the condensed milk and continue to whisk for another 2 minutes. Add the lime zest and mix. Then drizzle in the lime juice and mix for 2 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thicker when you're done than when you started.

Take out your crust and let it cool for just a couple minutes. Then add the lime filling.

Put it back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. It should NOT be sloshy at all when done, but if there's a TINY jiggle, that's probably okay. It will set completely as it cools.

Cool on rack then refrigerate for 2 hours (and, yes, that's important).

PRINTABLE RECIPE