Key Lime Bars

So i found the limes. The day after i posted up the lemon curd mousse cake entry, i went to PiP and found them right there, sitting in the exotic fruits section. HMMMmm... did i just never notice them or were they coincidentally imported the day after my post? Haha, fishy fishy... I still haven't found a lime mousse cake recipe that i like, so I thought I'd postpone the lime-project for a few more weeks. But after the PiP lime discovery, every time i went grocery shopping I would just wander over to that section and take a good 10 second stare at them...they were CALLING MY NAME! So after my X-th visit, i gave in and got 7. The first lime dessert that came to my mind was a Key Lime Pie. Key lime is a specific type of lime most famous in Florida... and according to wikipedia, "It is smaller, seedier, has a higher acidity, a stronger aroma, and a thinner rind than that of the Persian lime ". Hmmm, i have no idea what type of lime i got, but tomaytoes tomahtoes... it shouldn't make a difference. I got a Key Lime Bar recipe from marthastewart.com and they used 23 key limes to make 2/3 cups of lime juice. Okkay... how small were they?! Hand-squeezing 5 limes was already torture to my thumbs, i cant imagine squeezing 23. So i made the crust, baked the bars, blablabla... everything went quite well. But after i swallowed the first bite of my lime bar, i felt like it was gonna burn a hole through my stomach... 好酸喔!!! Ughh... I obviously used the wrong limes, grrrr!! So after 2 days, that plate of bars is still sitting in my fridge. I'll have to find some way to finish them quick. Can't give them to anyone cuz I don't want to be responsible for any gastric ulcers. Sigh, i was pretty disappointed because other blogs i visited had great results for this exact recipe. So if you're still interested and don't have access to key limes, my advice would be to add lime juice according to taste. Don't just dump in 2/3 cups like I did. From what I've tasted, i still see potential for this recipe... so if i ever make them again, i shall update. Back to studying now, ta-ta!

2009/02/09 1:40PM update: I JUST received a postcard from Florida KEYS! Talk about coincidence! :D

Key Lime Bars
from marthastewart.com
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup and 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large egg yolks (4 medium ones)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
• 2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (or to taste, depending on sourness)
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (*optional)
  
• Limes slices to garish
  

DIRECTIONS:

Make Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl [picture 1, 2].
   
3. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes [picture 3, 4].
   
4. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Filling:

1. Squeeze limes to make 2/3 cups (or to taste) of fresh lime juice [picture 5], set aside.
   
2. Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment [picture 6]. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly [picture 7]. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes.
   
4. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined [picture 8].

Assembly:

1. Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula [picture 9].
   
2. Bake at 350F degrees, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight) [picture 10].
4. Cut into 2-by-2-inch bars.
   
5. Put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment.
6. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
   Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime.
   Ungarnished bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Key Lime Bars