Recipe Revisit: Lime Bars

The greatest hazard involved in always wanting to try new recipes is that it’s hard to get back to the really good ones again. Take these fabulous, pucker-tart lime bars for instance. I made them so long ago, and then never made them again. Ever. It’s so embarrassing.

I wanted to re-test this recipe for more than one reason. First of all, I wanted to eat them again. They’re delicious, much like an extra-moist, really good classic lemon bar, but with a key-lime-pie-like graham cracker crust. My husband, who loves sour flavors and limes in particular, is especially excited about them. They’re so good and so easy to make, I should have made them a hundred times by now!

Another reason I desired a re-test is that I wanted to tweak the recipe just a little. The original recipe that I published was in a 9-inch square pan and had a rather large crust-to-filling ratio. I wanted to balance that out a little better, so I made the recipe in a smaller baking dish (8-inches square) and reduced the amount of crust. The result was just right.

I’m sure these could be made with other citrus juices, or perhaps even tart juices from other kinds of fruits. I think we’ll be enjoying it with limes in my house for the foreseeable future, however, and it’s going to be this updated version of the recipe from now on as well.

Lime Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
The filling for these bars is quite moist, so they’re best eaten with a fork, and the crust doesn’t stay crisp for long. (I don’t mind.)

Crust:
4 ounces graham crackers
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup lime juice, strained of pulp
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

powdered sugar to garnish if desired

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or brush with melted butter). Set aside.

2. Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process to coarse crumbs. Add the 1 tablespoon sugar and melted butter. Process until well mixed.

3. Pour the graham cracker crumb mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press into the pan evenly and firmly. Bake at 375 F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from the oven.

4. While the crust is baking, combine the eggs and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the lime juice and vanilla extract.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the baked and still warm crust. Return to the oven and bake at 375 F about 18-20 minutes, or until the filling is set and only jiggles slightly when shaken. Cool completely or chill if desired. Cut into squares to serve. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Makes 9-16 servings. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for a few days.

Other recipes like this one: Rhubarb Custard Bars, Cranberry Bars

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