Lime Bars

Well, after the lacklustre "lemon brownies" I decided to go with a more reliable citrus bar. Lidl had a special deal on limes, so I picked up a bag and got out a recipe for lime bars that I had made a while back. 

Lemon bars are not often seen here in Scotland, as much as they are a staple in American cafes, and certainly no one here had ever seen a lime version of these citrus treats. I failed at first when describing it to my colleagues as the laden tin was presented.

"They're lime bars," I said confidently.

"What? Lion bars? What are lion bars?"

"Ha ha, no, not lion bars, LIME bars!"

"Oh. What are lime bars?"

"Um...Kind of a shortbread base with a lime topping. Kind of a gooey topping, sort of a custard but not really. They're crusty on top. Gooey but crusty"

"Uh...thanks..."

"No, really! It's kind of like a lime curd topping! With a shortbread base! They're good!"

"Great."

Of course, ultimately, they were home made goodies so people ate them. And darn it, they liked them too.

And for the record, the last time I made these for a separate group, I was told they were the best dessert bars one person had ever eaten ever and they demanded the recipe. So there. 

Here's the recipe I used here, also copied and pasted below.

Gather Up:Cookie Crust

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 /2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 cups flour
Pinch kosher salt

Lime Topping4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

To make the crust, combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the flour and the salt, and mix another minute until well combined.

Pat the dough out to an even thickness over the bottom of the pan, and then gently push up and build an edge all around. (This will prevent the filling from seeping down underneath the crust when it is added later.)

Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and let cool completely on a rack.

To make the topping, whisk together the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the flour and whisk until just combined. Whisk in the lime juice and the zest.

Pour the lime topping over the cooled crust and return to the 350 degree oven. Bake for an additional 25 minutes until the filling is set.

Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Generously dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares. Bars will keep 2-3 days at room temperature.