Key Lime Bars

By michelew7

Key lime bars in a coconut crust

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups toasted coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
• 1 stick butter, cut into cubes
• Filling:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup key lime juice, to taste

Details

Servings 24
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

Crust:
Combine all of the crust ingredients in a mixing bowl or a food processor. Mix or process until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs to sprinkle over the filling, and press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake the crust in a preheated 350 degree oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until it's golden brown.

Filling:
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until well-blended. Stir in the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the Key lime juice, mixing until smooth.

Pour the filling onto the baked crust, then sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Bake the bars in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 24 minutes, until they're set around the edges, but slightly wobbly in the middle. Remove them from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate for several hours before serving, for easiest slicing.