Tangy Key Lime Bars

This recipe is going to involve some back story, so bear with me.

My dad is a bit of a collector. He collects yo-yo, old furniture, marbles, toy trains, coins, etc. Our basement is like a little museum to the mid 1900's. I mean, it's not bad enough for an A&E Hoarders intervention, but he does like his nic-nacs. So, when I showed an interest in baking he started collecting things for me. Jadite mixing bowls, metal chocolate molds, cake plates, and my most prized possession--an old recipe box that was full of 1950's recipes from what I can only assume wish was a lovely southern housewife.

Last summer, when he first brought home the recipe box, from an antique store that is becoming his second home, I shuffled through all the recipes looking for a good one to try out. There were recipes for pimento cheese, multiple casseroles, many a fruit and cheese pie (gotta love those semi-homemade pies), and a newspaper clipping for Tangy Lemon Squares. Now, last summer, I was addicted to key limes. I was introduced to the tart fruit by my grandma who made a key lime pie one evening. I didn't want to crush her spirit so I tried a piece and LOVED it. Consequently,  made it several times over the next couple weeks, to my mother's dismay.

So when I came upon the lemon square recipe I said to heck with the lemons and made it with key lime juice. It was a match made in heaven. The traditional shortbread crust with the tangy, gooey key lime middle and ever so crunching top was divine. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the top and you're in business.

Tangy Key Lime Bars

1 cup flour
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp key lime juice
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.

2. To make the crust, combine the flour confectioner's sugar and butter, until it's a uniform mixture. Press into the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes.

3. While the crust is baking, combine the eggs, sugar, key lime juice, flour, and baking powder. You a whisk to incorporate the ingredients.

4. Take the pan out of the oven and pour the lime mixture onto the warm crust. Bake at 305F for another 25 minutes or until no imprint remains on the bars when touched. Place on a cooling rack and then into the refrigerator. Once they are chilled, take the bars out of the pan (with the help of the parchment paper) and cut them into individual bars. Sprinkle with a little confectioner's sugar and enjoy!