Leprechaun Lime Bars

LEPRECHAUN LIME BARS

3/16/2018

No, Leprechaun Lime Bars are not really just for leprechauns - but I tell the little ones that so that they don't eat all of these at one sitting. I think I could just sit and gaze at these beautiful green key-lime bars all day long...but they are just too dang good to resist!

Always a favorite for St. Patrick's Day at our house, but you can call them "Lime Bars" and serve them any old time of year. You will quickly be known as the queen of lime bars, as these are truly out-of-this-world wonderful, and you may get tired of making them, because EVERYONE will be begging you to make more!

Key Lime Bars

Perfectly sweet and perfectly tart, perfectly creamy and silky - all at the same time. And on top of the most delicious buttery-brown sugar shortbread crust? These Leprechaun Lime Bars are truly magnificent!

I get asked all the time if you can use Key Limes - and of course you can. Just remember that Key Limes tend to be a little more tart than a regular lime, so you may need to adjust your sugar. And Key Limes are killer small, which means that you'll been squeezing about 200 of them for these bars. And yes, you can use bottled key lime juice. I prefer fresh-squeezed, but that's just me!

When you bake these, the top will get a dark golden color. DON'T PANIC! You need to bake these until the filling is set and golden on top. Once you remove them from the oven and they cool, the filling will continue to thicken. And you're going to sprinkle the top of the delicius bars with powdered sugar, so it's all good.

Whatever you do, just make these. Everyone will love you, whether it's St. Patrick's Day or not!

Lime Bars

LEPRECHAUN LIME BARS

There is something so absolutely wonderful about a perfectly fresh, sweet and tart lime bar! This tender shortbread cookie crust is covered with a smooth and rich, burst-in-your-mouth lime layer of goodness, and sprinkled with powdered sugar on top. Shamrock sprinkles make these a wonderful treat for St. Patrick’s Day!

Leprechaun Key Lime Bars

INGREDIENTS:
Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (partially soft and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

Filling
2 cups granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tablespoons fresh lime zest
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
4 large eggs (room temperature)
2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Green gel food coloring (optional)

Topping
Powdered sugar

HOW I MAKE THESE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, and then spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Add butter cubes and mix with a fork or pastry blender until mixture begins to come together in a crumbly fashion.
Gently press mixture into an even layer on bottom of the prepared pan (be sure to press together any cracks). Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
While crust is baking, zest limes. After zesting, juice the limes. The easiest way to juice limes is to microwave them for 15 seconds, then roll on a countertop, pressing firmly as you roll – this allows the maximum amount of lime juice to be released.
In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour and 1/8 tsp salt. Several minutes before crust is done baking, mix in lime juice and lime zest, then add eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition, followed by the egg yolks and heavy cream and whisk vigorously to blend well. Optional: Add a few drops of green gel food coloring if you want a more vibrant green filling color.
Immediately after removing crust from oven, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Pour mixture over hot crust (hold a whisk over the pan and pour your mixture over the whisk, so that you don’t crack the crust).
Return pan to oven and bake until filling is just set, about 20 - 23 minutes, or until just starting to set. The top will be dark golden – don’t fret!
Cool at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour.
For easiest (and cleanest) cutting, before serving, lift bars out of pan and cut with a large chef’s knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Add sprinkles if you want to – it’s all good!
Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

YIELD: 24 bars

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