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Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Source of Recipe

From "The Secret Ingredient Cookbook" by Kelly Senyei


Recipe Introduction

"One of the first times I ever visited my husband's home state of Florida, we had dinner at Joe's Stone Crab, a Miami Beach institution since 1913. The legendary eatery is known for its seafood dishes and is also home to one of my husband's favorite desserts, Joe's Famous Key Lime Pie. One taste, and I was also hooked. I've re-created the pie in cheesecake bar form, adding toasted coconut to the classic graham cracker crust. It's no Joe's, but it's certainly husband-approved!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Cooking spray
â—¦ 9 sheets graham crackers
â—¦ 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, divided
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
â—¦ 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
â—¦ 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ 2 teaspoons grated Key lime zest
â—¦ ½ cup Key lime juice
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ Whipped cream, for serving


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, then grease the foil with cooking spray.

In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are roughly ground. Add ½ cup of the coconut flakes and continue pulsing until the graham crackers are finely ground. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker mixture and melted butter. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the condensed milk, cream cheese, lime zest, and lime juice until well combined. Beat in the egg. Pour the cheesecake mixture atop the crust, spreading it into an even layer.

Bake the cheesecake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is almost set. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely before covering the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerating for 3 hours.

When ready to serve, toast the remaining ½ cup coconut in a small skillet set over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crunchy, about 3 minutes. Set the coconut aside to cool completely. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, then slice it into bars. Top each bar with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of the toasted coconut, then serve.

Makes 9 to 12 bars