Key Lime Pie Bars

Sometimes for social functions you're called upon to bring dessert.  And yes, of course, there are any number of chocolatey, peanut buttery concoctions you could bring and they would be guaranteed crowd-pleasers.  That's a given.

But sometimes...especially in early Spring (lol that's February if you're in Georgia) after I've just barely recovered from all the rich chocolatey nonsense that was had over the holidays...sometimes I'm in the mood for something different.

Something slightly fruity and tart but with a hint of pie.  Oh man...pie.

These are a delicious and super easy way of making some pretty impressive and delicious pie-bars.  The crust is made out of animal crackers.  Animal crackers!

Cricket was giving me the hunger eyes and I thought maybe I'd be able to capture her weird "holy smokes that was sour" face.

At first she was unsure.

 And then all of a sudden...

She ate it lightning fast, no probs.

Boom.  Gone.  Didn't even faze her.

Key Lime Pie Bars

(from brown eyed baker)

Crust: 

5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Filling: 

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Zest of 1 lime
Pinch of salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk

1/2 cup Key lime juice

Preheat oven to 325.  Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with foil so that it hangs over the sides.  Spray the pan and foil with baking spray.

For the crust, process the animal crackers in a food processor until they are finely crushed.  Add brown sugar and salt, pulse a few times until combined.  Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened.  Press the crumbs into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake on the center rack 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

For the filling, Stir together the cream cheese, lime, and salt until combined.  Add the condensed milk, whisking until smooth.  Whisk in the egg yolk and key lime juice until combined.  Pour the filling onto the crust.  Bake on the center rack of the oven (at 325) for 15-20 minutes or until the bars have started to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Allow bars to cool on the rack for about an hour.  Cover with plastic and chill in the fridge overnight (at least a couple hours, but overnight is best).  Before serving, pull the bars out by the foil sides and cut into 16 even squares.