#11 Quesadillas and Key Lime bars

Quesadillas are easy and taste great. Just put cheese (cheddar, Monterrey Jack, or mozzarella) on half a buttered flour tortilla and meat of choice. Place in heated skillet and fold in half :) You can add vegs like tomatoes, bell peppers, grated carrots, chile's, or anything else. Chicken and spinach is a great combo to try out.

Key lime bars make a nice bright summer dessert. To support the bars this recipe calls for a thicker crust. To make the filling firmer for a bar, cream cheese and an egg were added. While regular limes (persian) are passable, key limes are a must because they are sweeter. NEVER used bottle lime juice!

Making this more involved (juice all 20 limes) but worth it. I used graham crackers, since that's what I had on hand. This recipe recommends animal crackers since some prefer a neutral tasting crust.

Crust

5 oz crushed animal crackers (1 1/4 cups)
3 Tbs brown sugar
Pinch of salt
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) of melted butter, cooled slightly

Filling

2 Oz room temperature cream cheese
1 Tbs grated lime zest ( make sure to zest limes before squeezing to avoid a bitter taste)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup key lime juice (about 20 limes)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle of oven and heat to 325F. Line a 8 x 8 baking pan with two pieces of foil and coat with vegetable oil spray.

2. Mix crushed cookies, butter, sugar and pinch of salt. Press firmly and evenly into bottom of the prepared pan. Cook for 18-20 minutes until a deep golden brown. Cool while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

3. While the crust cools, stir cream cheese and zest and salt in a medium bowl until soft and creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until combined and there are no cheese lumps; whisk in egg yolk. Gently stir in lime juice (the mixture will thicken slightly).

4. Pour filling into crust; spread to the corners and smooth surface. Bake until set and edges pull away slightly from sides (15-20) minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 -1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5. Use foil as a sling to lift bars from pan and cut. Sprinkle with toasted coconut or serve with whipped cream. Will keep in fridge for 2 days.