Lime Bar Recipe!

I never posted it! Shame, shame, shame.

Here it is, from Americas Test Kitchen:

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 5ounces animal crackers
• 3tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• Pinch table salt
• 4tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

Filling

• 2ounces cream cheese , room temperature
• 1tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
• Pinch table salt
• 1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1egg yolk
• 1/2cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular

Garnish (optional)

• 3/4cup sweetened shredded coconut , toasted until golden and crisp

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut about 12-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 7 1/2-inch width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

• 2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

• 3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

• 4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

• 5. Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.)

Pop-em-Corn

Alright ladies and Gents, I am back with more recipes. I have sadly been neglecting this blog and my extreme love of documenting food. This post has been sitting unfinished since March of 2010 and I believe it is time for it to be shared with the world!

Caramel Corn, you too can make your own and it will be magnificent! Seriously, it is different than the stuff you buy in the store and I feel it is absolutely deserving of being attempted at least once in your life time. Break out those bucket lists people!

Here are the things you will need:

Food stuffs

• popcorn kernels
• brown sugar
• butter (mmmmm, butter)
• light corn syrup
• baking soda
• vanilla

Equipments

• air popper
• big a$$ bowl
• silicone spatula (it is important that it is silicone, the caramel will be HOT, and melted plastic does not taste good)
• two cookies sheets lined with aluminum foil and then parchment paper for ease of cleanup and to prevent sticking
• wooden spoon
• measuring cups and spoons, of course

Now that you got everything lets get started!

Turn your oven on and get it heated to 300°

Step 1: Put the kernels in the popper. Each popper is different so follow the directions for the machine on the limit you can put in.

Turn the machine on and pop your corn. I make sure to watch as it pops because sometimes it spits out un-popped kernels. These are no fun in the finished product and can lead to costly dental repairs; pick them out now when they're easy to spot.

Stop popping when you have 7-8 cups of popped corn.

Step 2: Put the butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium sized sauce pan.

Cook and stir (yes, this means you can't just walk away, stay and stir) over medium heat until mixture boils.

It will take awhile for this whole boiling thing to happen, don't give up! Keep stirring!

Once it boils, DON'T TOUCH IT! Just let it sit there boiling at a moderate, steady rate for 5 minutes. Remember, don't stir during this 5 minutes!

Step 3: After the 5 minutes, take the pan off the heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will look like it's becoming foamy and will get lighter in color.

Here's a closer look after a little more stirring. It's chemistry! Just more fun and tasty than in high school.

Step 4: Pour caramel goo over popcorn in big a$$ bowl.

Stir gently, so as not to murder all your lovely fluffy popcorn. Stir until all that white fluffy goodness is coated.

Step 5: Pour the coated popcorn onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Spread it out into a thin even layer. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Pull the corn out of the oven.

Stir the mixture and put back in the oven to bake for 5 more minutes.

Step 6: Remove the corn from the oven. I just pull the parchment off the pans and let it sit to cool. You can also spread it out on buttered foil.

You can keep this delightful treat for up to a week tightly covered, but in my house it never survives the night.