Margarita Bars – Buttercream Blondie

Can you say weekend plans?

As rapidly as a result of the local weather will get hotter, I uncover myself gravitating in course of sensible, unfussy desserts. I want comforting, however gentle, and these bars hit all the acceptable notes. They’ve the consistency and ease that you simply simply’d rely on from key lime pie, and while it’s possible you’ll positively bake this recipe in a pie dish, I actually like making bars! I have no idea exactly what it is, nonetheless I uncover them large easy to make and I actually like just a little bit hand-held dessert that I can seize at any time when it strikes my fancy. And let me inform you, it strikes my fancy better than widespread nowadays!

Whereas the bars are similar to key lime pie, they’ve additional substance to them because of the addition of cream cheese. It makes them just a little bit additional decadent and far more satisfying. The current lime juice offers that punch, sustaining them gentle, and an outstanding dose of lime zest is foremost bang in your buck inside the style division. You may also add the zest of an orange within the occasion you wished to. There are no tips proper right here!

That’s all good, however after we’ll identify these margarita bars, we would like the good issues! A splash of tequila (I wish to suggest using what you like to drink) and orange flavored liqueur give the bars that pop and cut back by the sweetness fantastically, balancing the entire flavors an identical to a properly crafted cocktail! I wish to suggest chilling the bars for a minimum of 4 hours, nonetheless I need them chilled in a single day. Whenever you’re one thing like me, prepared can actually really feel like torture, nonetheless I actually really feel favor it gives the the flavors time to ripen and really shine.

One chunk and you’ll shortly discover, they’ve been positively well worth the wait. They’re lush, however gentle and the sweetness is balanced fantastically because of the pop of tequila. The golden, buttery graham cracker crust brings the crunch and whereas they’re good as is, you perceive I wanted to offer them just a little bit zhush! A dollop of current whipped cream and a sprinkling of lime and orange zest are even larger than a salted rim!

Parts:

Graham Cracker Crust:

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Margarita Filling:

4 ounces softened cream cheese
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
Zest of two limes
1/3 cup current lime juice
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. tequila
2 tsp. Tripe Sec or orange flavored liqueur of choice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping:

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. Triple Sec
Lime and/or orange zest for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 ranges. Spray 8×8-inch pan with nonstick pan spray, line with parchment paper, and spray as quickly as additional.
In a medium dimension mixing bowl, mix collectively graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter. Press evenly into the underside of prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Put apart.
Inside the bowl of {an electrical} mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream cream cheese until simple. Add sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, salt and lime zest and mix on medium velocity until properly blended and simple.
Add lime juice, tequila, triple sec and vanilla, and mix on low velocity until simple. Pour filling on excessive of baked crust (it’s okay if the crust is scorching) and bake for 16-20 minutes, rotating as quickly as halfway by. Bars are carried out once they’re set on excessive.
As quickly as bars have cooled to room temperature, cowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate on the very least 4 hours. I wish to chill out these in a single day for best outcomes.
When ready to cut the bars, carry them out of the pan by the parchment paper (you will have to permit them to face on the counter for 5 minutes to make their launch less complicated) and place on large slicing board. Using a transparent, scorching knife, cut back bars into three even rows. Rotate slicing board and cut back three rows as quickly as additional, yielding 9 squares.