Key Lime Bars

Last night I had a run in with a trampoline and the trampoline won.  Today has been spent "icing and elevating" my very swollen ankle (I think I'd much rather be icing cupcakes).  I'm very thankful to my husband and in-laws who are taking care of things with my two small rug rats.  I'm also thankful that I have several recipes already in the wings to share because I'm not sure when I'll be getting downstairs to the kitchen again...

As we are approaching Memorial Day Weekend (thank you so much to the brave men and women who have served us!), my mind thinks on BBQ.  Obviously, BBQ-ing can mean very different things to different people depending on where in the country you hail from, but one thing is certain.  The accompaniments to a cook out are equally important.  These key lime bars are tart and refreshing, a perfect ending to a backyard bonanza. 

Note: the recipe calls for key lime juice.  Key limes are very small, yellow-green limes that make the pie famous.  If you can't find key limes, by all means, substitute the more common, larger and greener Persian Lime (the one that we all know and love).  You can also swap in lemon juice to make lemon bars if those are more your thing...

Key Lime Bars
Crust:
1 stick (4 oz, 8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Filling:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
powdered sugar for garnishing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium mixing bowl, with electric mixer, blend together butter and powdered sugar.  Once thoroughly mixed, add flour and salt, mixing until a stiff dough is formed.  Press into prepared pan and bake, until crust is lightly golden, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.  Beat together eggs and sugar until smooth and lemon-colored.  Mix in flour and beat until smooth.  Whisk in lime juice and zest.  Pour into baked crust and return to oven, baking for an additional 25 minutes or until filling is set.  Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.  Dust with powdered sugar for garnish and top with tiny lime slices, if desired. 

Recipe closely adapted from Pat and Gina Neely's Key Lime Bars

Sweets for the Sweet Part II: Samoas Bars

See?  A heart, for Valentine's Day.  Precious, huh?

Growing up, I never got to be a girl scout.  My dad got me started in 4-H (the more rural, science-y, co-ed youth development organization that displays all kinds of things at fairs--someday, I'll have to tell you the tragic story of the rhubarb cake that never made it to judging at the Hennepin County Fair...) because he had very fond memories of showing calves at fairs through his 4-H club.  I digress... I don't know if Scouts do fairs...I think they might be too busy earning badges. 

Sadly, being in 4-H meant not getting to wear cute berets and sashes and have darling names like "Brownies" (makes me hungry every time...). Despite any competition between Scouts and Clovers (I think that's what 4-H kids are called, and no, I don't think there's any animosity), whenever our neighbors who were Girl Scouts came around with those cookie orders, I loved the Samoas (or Caramel DeLites, depending on where you are, right?) so much, that I would raid my own piggy bank just to make sure I got a box to myself.  Then, I would hide the box in some remote place just to ensure that no little sibling (or chocolate and coconut-loving dad) would get a hold of my twelve precious caramel-coconutty treasures.  No wonder I was a pudgy kid, I had some serious gluttony issues...

Well, I do still love Samoas cookies and since it will be a couple weeks still before our order will be delivered (along with the requisite box of Thin Mints), I thought I would give this recipe a try.  Variations of Samoas bars are all over the blogosphere and not wanting to be outdone, I came up with my own take on them.  Many of the recipes call for melting chocolate to replicate the chocolate-coated bottom and drizzle on the top.  Please feel free to do that.  I am lazy so I just sprinkled mini chocolate chips and that worked great for me! 

Samoas Bars
Crust layer:
1/2 cup (an 8 oz stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Caramel Coconut layer:
3 cups grated sweetened coconut
1 14 oz. bag caramel candies (like Kraft brand)
3 tablespoons milk
pinch of salt

miniature chocolate chips

To assemble: Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  On a baking sheet (easier if it has sides) covered with parchment paper, spread coconut in a single layer.  Toast in 300 degree oven, checking on it and stirring it every 3-5 minutes to prevent from burning until golden brown (about 20 minutes total and I'm sorry, you can not go far during this part because it can go from golden to burned too quickly!).  Remove from oven and allow to fully cool. This step can also be done in advance and then just store the cooled coconut in an airtight container until ready to use.

To prepare the cookie base,  grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix to thoroughly combine.  Stir in salt and flour until the mass comes together in a dough.  Spread dough in a thin, even layer in the bottom of the baking pan (it might be a bit sticky, just do your best).  Bake for about 25 minutes or until cookie base is light golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.

Unwrap caramels and place in a medium, microwave-safe bowl.  Add milk and salt.  Microwave on high power, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds until caramels are melted and almost smooth (it should take between 3-4 minutes).  Once caramels are melted, stir in toasted coconut.  Immediately spread melted caramel-coconut mixture over cookie base.  While the caramel is still warm, sprinkle miniature chocolate chips over top in an even layer, pressing gently into the caramel so they stick.

Allow bars to fully cool before cutting (a pizza cutter works nicely) into bars.  I do not recommend using cookie cutters to cut into heart shapes for photographs, it's just plain wasteful for all those edges.  These were even better the second day!

Pecan Pie Bars

Oh. My. Word.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving's arrival, I thought I would post a recipe that you should definitely try for the holiday, Pecan Pie Bars.  They're like pecan pie you can eat with your hands.  'Nuff said.  Actually, that's not true, I must also add that they are pure, sweet, chewy, evil deliciousness that I try to slow down my consumption of by putting the leftovers in the freezer only to discover that they taste fantastic frozen as well.  Instead of a pie crust, this recipe uses a boxed cake mix, which makes for an amazing texture.  You will never want to use yellow cake mix for another purpose.  Ever. Again. 

What dish are you looking forward to for Thanksgiving?

Pecan Pie Bars
crust:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 egg
filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups halved pecans (or chopped pecans)
Whipped Topping for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, butter and egg with electric mixer until well combined.  Mixture will be very stiff.  Press into a 9x13" baking pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust starts to become golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.  In same bowl (no need to clean the bowl or beaters!), combine sugar, eggs and butter.  Mix thoroughly.  Add flour, milk and vanilla extract and mix again until well combined.  Stir in pecans.  Pour filling mixture on top of crust.  Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until filling is set but is still wobbly like jello.  Allow to cool before slicing into bars.  Top with whipped topping, if desired.

Notes: This recipe is inspired by "The Cake Mix Doctor."  In her recipe, the filling calls for corn syrup.  I did not avoid corn syrup on principle (I just didn't have it), but if you like to make your pecan pie filling with corn syrup (and half the fat, hence once less stick of butter), here's her filling recipe.  I have made them both ways and I have noticed that this filling recipe is definitely stickier but other than that, haven't noticed much difference.  Either way, in the words of Martha Stewart, "they're a good thing."

Filling:
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or pecan halves
Mix all ingredients except for pecans until well combined.  Stir in pecans.  Continue as followed above.