Key Lime Pie Bar

Ingredients:

Crust

12 full-sheet graham crackers

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 c sugar

Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

4 large egg yolks

14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup key lime juice

2 teaspoons lime zest (1 lime )

optional for topping: whipped cream

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.

Make the crust:  Use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Press into the bottom of the lined pan.

Prebake crust: Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes as you prepare the filling in the next step.

Make the filling: Using a mixer beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg yolks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and lime zest until combined. After mixing the filling with your mixer, give it a final whisk by hand to make sure there are no cream cheese lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Pour filling evenly onto the warm crust.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the edges of the bars appear set and the center is only a little jiggly.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into squares.  Top with whipped cream.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.