Desserts
Key Lime Bars with berries and cream
Creamy and oh so tangy, these easy-to-bake Key Lime Bars will make a fabulous finale for your next grilled feast. We can’t think of a better dessert for a sweltering summer day than anything made with key lime juice. Talk about refreshing— even if you’re stuffed to the brim on pulled pork or steak, there always seems to be just enough room for a key lime dessert.
Rather than go down the typical pie path, try these Key Lime Bars. They’re just as good and just a little more casual. Ground macadamia nuts add richness to this traditional graham cracker crust and help keep the crust from getting too crumbly. And unless you live in Florida, fresh key limes are hard to find (and a pain in the neck to juice). Use bottled key lime juice or squeeze regular limes.
Ingredients
Key Lime Bar Toppings
These bars are great on their own, but for a company-worthy dessert, give one or more of these garnishing options a try.
• White chocolate shavings Scrape a vegetable peeler down the narrow edge of a white chocolate bar.
• Whipped cream Whip heavy cream with a little powdered sugar just until soft peaks form.
• Lime wedges Cut thin lime slices into small wedges and nestle into a dollop of whipped cream.
• Fresh berries Whatever is in season will work great as a garnish for the bars. Use what looks best at the store.
• Chopped macadamia nuts Sprinkle coarsely chopped nuts over the bars. This really highlights the nuts in the crust.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°; coat a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray.
Process nuts in a food processor until fine. Add crumbs, sugar, and salt, pulse to combine, then drizzle in butter while machine is running. Press mixture into prepared dish and bake just until golden, 10 minutes.
Whisk eggs together in a bowl for the filling. Add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Pour filling over warm crust and bake just until filling is set and no longer jiggles, 20–25 minutes.
Cool bars to room temperature, then chill until cold before cutting.(For smooth edges, dip the knife blade in hot water after making each cut.)
Grind macadamia nuts in a food processor until the texture is very fine but not pasty or oily.
Use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to tamp the crumb mixture into the baking pan.
To avoid creating bubbles in the filling, slowly whisk the ingredients together until blended.
For diamond-shaped bars, cut into thirds lengthwise, then diagonally starting at a corner.