Key Lime Bars

  Lemon bars have been a long time favorite of mine. Citrus of any type in baking is something both Lyle and Bettie like so the Oct 2012 issue of The Taste of Home’s recipe for Key Lime Bars was an instant hit. 

  I used regular limes as key limes are sometimes hard to get, and it takes quite a lot to get a half cup of lime juice.  These were very good. Nice and tart, and smooth and sweet at the same time. Also take note that there is none of the sweetened condensed milk that is called for in Key Lime Pie.

PREP: 25 minutes + cooling  BAKE: 35 + chilling    YIELD: 3 dozen

Key Lime Bars

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

30 vanilla wafers, broken into pieces

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup cold butter, cubed

CREAM CHEESE LAYER

1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons 2% milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

KEY LIME LAYER

1 ½ cup sugar

¼ cup all purpose flour

4 eggs

½ cup key lime juice  

Additional confectioners’ sugar  

  In a food processor, combine the flour, wafers, confectioners’ sugar and pecans: cover and process until nuts are fine. Add butter; cover and pulse until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.   

  In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla until blended; spread over crust to edges of pan. In another small bowl, combine sugar and flour; whisk in eggs and lime juice. Gently pour over cream cheese layer. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until filing is set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Cut into bars. Before serving, sprinkle with additional confectioners sugar. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.