I recently had a dinner party themed around citrus carnitas tacos, and I wanted to change up what I was going to make for dessert. Almost every dish I made that night contained lime in it, so I decided to stick with that ingredient for the dessert. I am an absolute lover of any dessert that has lemon, so I decided to try out a recipe that is similar to lemon bars but substitutes lime for the curd.
Lime curd bars with coconut crust is extremely easy to make. First you need to make the crust and then bake it off. To make the crust, you cream the butter and sugar. Then you add the flour, zest of a lime, coconut and salt. This creates a simple and delightful crust. The addition of coconut in the crust adds great flavor and texture. Press the crust into a pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. There are plenty of benefits to par-baking your crust. You mainly do this when your filling takes less time to bake than the crust. However, I find that par-baking pie crust ensures that your crust will be nice and golden brown.
While the crust is in the oven, create the filling. Start with combining the granulated sugar, cornstarch, baking powder and remaining lime zest and salt. Then slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Then while mixing speed on low, add lime juice. It’s that simple!
Once the crust has reached a nice golden brown, and you are happy with how it looks, add the filling. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. You are looking for the filling to be set. If you move the pan a little, the center should slightly jiggle. Once the curd is cooked, let the pan get to room temperature on your kitchen surface. Then place the bar into the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Cut the bars and top with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Adapted from Life Made Simple - Lime Curd Bars
This recipe makes about 24 bars if using a 9 x 13 inch dish.
Crust:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded dried coconut
¹⁄1/8 teaspoon salt
1 lime, zested
Filling:
1 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 lime, zested
3/4 cup fresh lime juice (4-5 limes)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, overhanging the edges by 1 inch.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar (beat for 2-4 minutes with an electric or stand mixer). Add the flour, the zest of half a lime, coconut and the salt. Mix until the dough just holds together (the dough will be soft and sticky). Press into the pan and prick all over with a fork.
3. Place pan with crust in oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust turns golden brown.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, lime zest and salt. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add lime juice and pour into the baked crust.
5. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Check it around 20 minutes to make sure it does not overcook. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. After 30 minutes or so, place in refrigerator until set, about 2-3 hours. Cut into bars and dust with confectioners’ sugar and leftover lime zest.
If you looking for more baking adventures, check out The Chopping Block's Fabulous French Pastries class on Friday, February 14 at 10am. Don't let the fancy French descriptions fool you… these really are approachable desserts for the home cook.
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