Key Lime Bars

I've never remembered liking key lime pie. It's one of those things that I've never really had, but just decided automatically that I wouldn't like it. Last year, I was in Vegas with my bestie and we hit up Joe's Stone Crab. Not only are they famous for their stone crabs, but for their key lime pie. My friend wanted to share a slice. I wanted a better dessert, that I thought was delicious. But we got the key lime pie. And, it was not bad. But I didn't really think about it much afterwards. Then my BF ended up making some key lime bars from a recipe he found online for a movie/dessert night I had a few months back. He loves key lime pies so thought he'd try the recipe. I ate those, and it was pretty damn good. Then I found out the recipe is based on the key lime pie from Joe's Stone Crab. What do you know. Now I'm addicted to these suckers. I've made these too many times already. Enough tart balanced by the whipped cream and graham cracker crust. MMMMMM. This is also the recipe in my Martha Stewart's Pie book..so it's been validated by me and her. :) Here's the easy recipe:

Ingredients
-1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
-1/3 cup sugar
-5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
-3 large egg yolks
-1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
-2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (about 23 Key limes total)
-1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-2 Key limes, thinly sliced into half-moons

To make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl.

Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (Leave oven on.)

TO make the filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium.

Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly.

Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.

Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula.

Bake, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
Cut into 2-by-2-inch bars. For the homemade whipped cream, put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime.

yum! Enjoy! :)