Strawberry Lime Squares with Almond Graham Cracker Crust

I have been a slacker.  It takes a little while to get back into the swing of things after two weeks that consisted of a family visit and vacation.  Also I got sucked into a few books that I couldn’t put down.  I was literally up until 3 am one night.  I am ashamed to admit what I was reading. Maybe you can guess, it’s a four book “saga” about some depressed love sick vampires.   I am ashamed a grown woman, hooked on some teenage melodrama.  Don’t judge me.

But I have moved on and back into my kitchen, so I present you with some delicious sweet and tart bars that I promise you will love!

Here is a quick and simple way to hull a strawberry, if you have some frosting tips laying around.  Pull the leaves off the top of your strawberry and grab a star tip, about 1m should do it.

Stick the tip into the top of the strawberry, not very far.

Twist and scoop out the stem.  Ta-DA a perfectly hulled strawberry.  You don’t even have to worry about trying to get the stem out, it will push out when you move on to the next strawberry.

To slice the strawberries I used an egg slicer.

You end up with perfectly uniform sliced strawberries, and run less of a risk of slicing off your finger tips. 😀

In the food processor combine blanched almonds and graham crackers.

Process until coarsely ground, add lime zest and sugar.

Now blitz it until finally ground.

Take 1/2 a cup of sweet nectar…..I mean butter and drizzle into graham mixture, while running processor.

Process until the graham mixture comes together and runs up the sides of the bowl.

Pour into prepared pan.  I lined mind with aluminum foil, because I was out of parchment, and buttered the foil.

Press the graham mixture down and 1 inch up the sides using the back of you hand.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

While the crust is cooling, juice 2 to 3 large limes, about 1/2 cup of lime juice, set aside.

In a bowl combine egg yolks and sweet condensed milk, whisk together until smooth.

Whisk lime juice into lime mixture until smooth.

Pour mixture into cooled crust.

Spread evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cool on baking rack, top with strawberries, patting off excess juices.  Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into squares, wiping knife with a damp kitchen towel between each cut.

I happen to have a mild love affair with key lime pie and these little squares are pretty close to the real thing.  The crust is crumbly goodness and the filling is the perfect combination of sweet and tart.  Tart enough to sometimes give you that little tickle in the back of you jaw but without being over powering.  The strawberries are just a sweet icing on the….bar. 😀

Excuse me I have a breakfast bar in the frig that needs my attention.

Print Recipe

Strawberry Lime Squares with Almond Graham Cracker Crust (adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food)

CRUST

• 4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
• 2/3 cup blanched almonds
• 1 cup (4 ounces) graham-cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs grated lime zest

FILLING

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. (If you don’t have parchment paper, use aluminum foil and butter the foil.)

Hull and slice stawberries, sprinkle 1 Tbs of sugar over the strawberries, stir, cover and refrigerate until needed.

In a food processor, finely grind blanched almonds with graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool crust, 30 minutes.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Add lime juice; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust; carefully spread to edges.

Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack; top with strawberries, patting excess juices off, then chill at least 1 hour before serving. Using parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into squares, wiping knife with a damp kitchen towel between each cut. To store in refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap.