Working through the last of my lemons and it was suggested I try and combine lemon bars with a key lime kind of flavor, which I thought might be interesting. Spoiler – it is! It’s a fun and slightly unusual combo that really works.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 T cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1 t lemon zest
- 1 t lime zest
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 cup butter, cold, cut into small cubes
Lemon Lime Layers
- 4 eggs, brought to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 T flour
- ½ t vanilla
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 T lemon zest
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 T lime zest
- Yellow food coloring *
- Green food coloring *
- Additional powdered sugar for dusting **
* Optional, but they will help differentiate the different layers
** Also optional, mostly for decoration
Directions
If you haven’t already, start by zesting and squeezing your lemons and limes. For this I used 2 fairly good sized lemons and 4 limes
We’ll start with the crust.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, lime zest and vanilla until everything is well distributed. Add the cut up butter and mush together until the mixture is kind of pebbly – the easiest way to do this is with your (clean hands).
Butter and flour or spray a 9” x 13” baking dish and press the mixture into the bottom, getting it as even as you can.
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until the edges just start to get a little golden brown. When it’s there, take it out of the oven and move it to a wire rack.
While the crust is cooling, you can make the lemon and lime layers, which you’ll pretty much do simultaneously.
In a large bowl put the eggs, sugar, whipping cream, flour and vanilla and whisk together until well combined.
Next, get a separate bowl and put half of this mixture in that, leaving the other half in the original bowl – these are the bases for your 2 layers.
In the first bowl, add the lemon juice and lemon zest, along with a drop or two of yellow food coloring if you’re using it. Note – you don’t want to use too much food coloring here or below – just enough to differentiate the layers. If you use too much I feel like it looks kind of artificial. Whisk together until well combined.
Pour this mixture over the still warm crust and put this back into the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the lemon layer is set.
While this is in the oven, get your second bowl and add the lime juice and lime zest and again, if you’re using it, the green food coloring.
Once the lemon layer is set, take it out of the oven and pour the lime layer directly over it and put it back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so, or until that layer is set as well.
Once it is, take it out of the oven and move it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once it’s about room temperature, move it to the fridge to cool completely. Dust it with powdered sugar when you’re ready to slice it up and serve!
Ugly Desserts 