I love making this recipe in the summer, there's something so satisfying about having a sharp and tangy dessert to cool your palate on a hot day. While I enjoy warm pies or richly decadent desserts in summer; when the heat hits, I'm drawn to cool, sharp and crisp flavours. As well as being a summer treat, these squares are wonderful anytime of the year and in any season. In fact, these are a great addition to a Holiday baking repertoire as it's something a little different, bright and tangy.
When I first started testing this recipe which I've adapted from Ree Drummond's recipe for Key Lime Pie, I was bound and determined to find and use Key Limes. After quite a search of local specialty stores and driving about 45 minutes from my house, I finally found a store that had Key Limes, I was stoked. Unfortunately, my excitement didn't last long as they were difficult to work with and not worth all that effort in my opinion... Key Limes are smaller than a traditional lime and I found extracting juice from them almost impossible. In all fairness, I've come across regular limes that were bone dry too, but usually that's just one in a bunch. Every single Key Lime I purchased (at a high cost I might add) was dry and yielded almost no liquid. As well, the zest of the Key Limes was quite bitter in comparison to regular limes. Almost as if a Lime and a Grapefruit had joined forces. To some, this might sound wonderful, but not really to my taste. At the end of the day, as much as I wanted to love Key Limes, I just found the cost and effort didn't match the affordability, availability and flavour of regular limes.
Key Lime search aside, this recipe is very easy and doesn't involve anything fancy - just mixing and pouring. In testing the recipe, I found the acidity of the limes needed something creamy to balance out the flavours. So, I decided to make a white chocolate ganache that gets spread out over the top of the baked squares. Not only does it add just the right balance of creaminess to tartness, it also creates a smooth as glass finish on the squares that looks stunning. Obviously, if this doesn't suit your tastes and preferences, it could be left off. A layer of whipping cream or a dollop on each square would be lovely looking and tasting too.
Key Lime Squares Recipe:
Crust:
18 Graham Crackers
1/2 cup of butter melted (in the microwave is fine)
1/4 cup plain granulated sugar
Filling:
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
Zest and juice of three limes
2 egg yolks
Ganache Topping:
1x 100g bar of good quality White Chocolate like Lindt, chopped or broken into pieces
90ml's or a generous 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
Splash of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Method;
Preheat oven to 350F and line a 8 x 8 square baking tin with some parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine the graham crackers, melted butter and sugar. Blitz until blended and no large chunks of graham cracker remain. Pour mixture into the prepared tin and press into a flat layer on the bottom. Bake in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly while making the filling.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, zest and juice from the limes, and egg yolks until smooth and combined. Then pour filling into tin and on top of graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the filling is mostly set with a little jiggle remaining in the centre when the pan is gently shaken back and forth. Set aside to cool a bit while you make the ganache.
In a small saucepan, scald the cream (heat to just below a boil), the cream should make a loud spattering noise when you gently swirl in the saucepan. Place the chopped or broken up pieces of chocolate in a small heat proof bowl. Then pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, gently stir using a rubber spatula until smooth and all the chocolate has melted into the cream. Add the splash of vanilla now (if you added it earlier most of the vanilla flavour would evaporate). Then pour over the baked filling and crust (use an offset spatula to spread out evenly if needed) and place in the fridge to cool completely and set up (about 4 -6 hours). Then cut into squares using a sharp knife and wiping the blade after each cut.
Happy summer!
