Key Lime Pie Bars

Quick and easy! This is a perfect dessert for spring or summer days.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or 12 large graham cracker rectangles, crushed to crumbs)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 egg yolks at room temperature
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
Optional: 2 tsp lime zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch square pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of  the baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave oven on.

With electric mixer, whisk egg yolks for two minutes. Add condensed milk and continue to whisk for additional 2 minutes. Add zest and lime juice and mix for additional two minutes. Pour the filling on top of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cool completely on rack. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

This recipes is adapted from Little Spice Jar food blog.

Fresh Lime Mousse

The hardest part of this recipe is juicing the limes. Once that is done, the rest of this recipe is quick and easy.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon grated lime peel
1 cup Cool Whip

Instructions

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Mix in sugar and stir until bubbly, about one minute.
Mix in crumbs; stir until color deepens, about three minutes. Turn onto plate to cool

Stir condensed milk, lime juice and lime peel in large bowl to blend. Fold in Cool Whip.

Place 1/4 cup of lime mousse into 6 dessert cups. Top each with 1 Tablespoon of crumb mixture. Top with another cup of mousse. Top with remaining crumbs. Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients for crust:

1 cup toasted coconut
6 Tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla sandwich cookies

Ingredients for filling:

1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring
1 - 2 drops green food coloring

Instructions

To toast the coconut, spread coconut on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Watch it carefully, so it doesn't burn. When it is lightly toasted, remove from oven and place in bowl immediately so it doesn't continue to toast more on the hot pan.

Reserve 1 Tablespoon of the toasted coconut for topping. In a 9-inch pie pan, combine the coconut, butter and crushed cookies. Mix well. Please into bottom and sides of the pie pan. Refrigerate the crust while making the topping.

In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese with mixer until soft and fluffy.
Add lime juice, rum flavoring and food coloring (just enough to tint the mixture a light green). Mix well. Pour into crust and sprinkle reserved coconut on top.
Refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours before serving.