Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

For some reason I am all about some lemon-lime this week. So get ready!



I was asked to make a dessert last weekend and my immediate thought was "Key Lime".


I started hunting or rather Pinteresting (which is now a word everyone understands) Pinterest is right up there with Google for me these days. Instead of "googling" I go "pinning". What will they think of next.


Ok ... rabbit trail has ended, back to the dessert.


I have to be honest, I didn't want to spend all day on this dessert, so that illiminated quite a few I have been wanting to try.


Then I came across this recipe over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. Another blog I love to read.

I decided to give it a whirl or uh... swirl in this case.


Just take a look... Yum.

I followed her recipe so head on over to her blog and check it out, her pictures are stunning.
I am just going to include some step by step instructions and made minor tweaks.

You will need:

Crust:
2 cups graham crackers
 1/2 cup( 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 10×10pan with parchment that overhangs the edges.

Mix the butter and graham crackers together and press into the bottom of the pan evenly. Bake crust for 5 minutes and allow to cool completely.

Filling:
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus one large egg white
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup prepared lime curd, divided (recipe
below)

Liquid green food coloring
Liquid yellow food coloring

Lime Curd
8 tbsp (1 US. stick) unsalted butter,
softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup plus 4 tbsp. Key Lime juiceBeat butter and sugar in a large bowl using anelectric mixer. Slowly add the eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in lime juice and mix again.

Expect the mixture to look curdled, this is normal.

Cook the mixture over medium heat in amedium-size saucepan until it looks smooth (no longer curdled.) Increase the heat slightly and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens.

Clip a thermometer to the side of the pan and cook until the mixture reaches 170 degrees.
Remove the curd from the heat. Transfer the curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap on the surface of the lime curd to keep a skin from forming. Chill the curd in the refrigerator.

The curd will thicken further as it cools.

Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

Next up the filling....

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium high speed until smooth. Beat in eggs on low speed, 1 at a time.

Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then flour just until blended.

Remove 1 cup of batter and reserve. Pour the rest of the batter over the crust.

Tint the lime curd green.

I used two drops green and three drops yellow to get a key lime rind color

Mix 1/2 cup of tinted lime curd with the 1 cup of reserved batter.

Place spoonfuls or dollops of this mixture in no particular fashion on top of the plain cheesecake batter. Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup of lime curd across the previous mixture. Use skewer to swirl the mixtures together to create a marbleized effect.
Bake for 35 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Let cool completely in pan then refrigerate.

Lift cheesecake out of the pan with parchment overhang.  

Cut into squares and watch them disappear

I tried to save you a piece, but I ate it for breakfast.

They were so good you should run out, but some Key Lime juice (I found mine at the local store) and make these. If you are feeling really adventurous you could squeeze all those little limes yourself. Knock yourself out and come back and let me know what you think.

Thanks again Cookbook Queen and Sprinkle Bakes for this fabulous recipe

Baking from my heart to your kitchen,

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