Double Take: Key Lime Bars with Graham-Cracker Pistachio Crust

Key Lime Bars with Pistachio Graham-Cracker Crust
Photo courtesy of Holly Ballenger

Remember my disastrous lemon meringue pie? Remember the solution recipe I gave you? Well, take the delicious lemon pie, make it lime, put it in a different crust (rectangular rather than pie-shaped) and you get Lime Bars with Pistachio Graham-Cracker Crust. Many thanks to Culinary in the Country for bringing this recipe to my attention!

This recipe was so close to my lemon meringue pie recipe that I knew it had to be good. I've frequently turned my lemon meringue pies into key lime meringue pies, so I knew the lime would be perfect. And adding pistachios to the crust? Oh my. I love graham-cracker crusts, I love pistachios. Match made in heaven! And so darn easy to make! Just read the directions before you start or things will take longer than needed.

Things to remember before you start cooking:

1. You need to melt butter before you start!

2. The crust has to bake (8-12 min) and cool (30 min) before you put the filling together. 

Double Take: Key Lime Tarlets

"Key Limes! Pastry! I'm making it!" That was my reaction to reading the title to this week's Double Take: Key Lime Curd Tartlets. Yum. It just sounds good, doesn't it? How can you go wrong with these fabulous ingredients? Don't worry though, you can... just add water.

This recipe is also another one of those that is impossible to look up in the index: both tart and dessert leave you befuddled. I guess Pies and Pastries don't count as dessert. You can find this recipe on page 354 of the all-new ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, but I'm not sure why you'd bother. There have got to be better recipes out there.

The curd itself is relatively tasty and easy to make: combine butter, eggs, key lime juice (go for the bottled stuff, squeezing them yourself takes way too much time and effort), and butter. Heat until thickened, strain, stir in lime rind, chill 4-6 hours.

Tabitha and I failed to strain the curd (Did I mention we actually got to make this in the same country?! In the same kitchen?! At the same time?! Yipee!), but in the future I'll be straining my curds.