Lemon Lime Dream Bars

If you are a fan of lemon bars, please give these a try.

If you are a fan of creamy, yummy goodness, please give these a try.

If you are a fan of...just try these, okay?  I was completely, pleasantly surprised when I made these bars for a barbecue a few weekends ago.  In charge of bringing a dessert, and I didn't know what I wanted to make, something different, something not chocolate, something just right for outdoor eating.  These were it.  I mean, I couldn't have chosen better. 

I personally like the combination of lemon and lime because the lemon calms down the extreme tartness of lime, and the lime adds a punch of tang to the mellow...yellow....lemon.

 

 Lemon Lime Dream Bars

Crust Ingredients

5 oz. Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 Tbl. Brown Sugar

Pinch of Salt

4 Tbl. butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

2 oz. softened cream cheese (I know this seems like a tiny amount, but it is correct)

1 Tbl. combination zest of lime and lemon (I just eyeballed this, used zest of 1 lime and 1-2 lemons)

1-14 oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Pinch of Salt

1 Egg

1/2 C. Fresh lemon and lime juice.  I juiced 1 lime and the rest of the 1/2 cup of juice was from lemons.  I would recommend having 3 lemons on hand.

Green or yellow food coloring if you prefer

Powdered Sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Line an 8" x 8" pan with foil, using 2 pieces of overlapping foil with about 2" hanging over each side of the pan.  See the image above for a visual.  I like to cut two pieces of foil about 8" by 16" and then lay them cross-wise.   Spray with cooking spray.

To prepare your crust:  Combine the Graham Cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt together in a bowl.  Drizzle the melted butter over this combo and mix.  Press mixture into bottom and up a bit on the sides of  your prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes until crust is set.

To prepare your filling: While crust is cooking, in bowl of stand mixer using the beater attachment, combine your cream cheese, zest and salt and mix well.  While the mixer is on, drizzle in the sweetened condensed milk.  Once combined, add your egg and mix well.  And finally add your fresh lemon and lime juice.  Again, mix well.  If you want your bars to be a brighter, more citrusy color, you can add a few drops of green or yellow food coloring.  I actually like the natural look, so I did not do it.

Pour filling into the cooked crust. 

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes until the filling is set and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool on counter until no longer hot and then in fridge until completely cool.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Cut into 16, 2" x 2" squares.  If you look at my picture above you'll see how I cut my bars, once cooled, I pull up on the overhanging flaps (make sure to pull on the bottom layer of foil), and remove the bars completely from the pan.  Place on cutting bored (still on top of foil).  Cut Straight down the middle and then on either side of the first cut.  This gives you 4 vertical rows.  Rotate the foil and repeat.  Cut straight down the middle and on either side.  This gives you 16 perfectly even squares of goodness.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Eat.  Then come back and eat more.

Thanks for reading!!

Heather

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