Lime Meringue Pie Bars
These lime meringue pie bars are delicious and it's perfect for when you want to have smaller portions of it or many portions of different sweets, lol!
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Servings: 16 bars in a 20x20cm / 8x8in pan
Ingredients
For the cookie base
- 150 g crackers/biscuits I used vanilla
- 70 g unsalted butter melted
- ½ tsp salt
For the lime filling
- 640 g condensed milk
- 150 ml lime juice
- 5 egg yolks
Option 1: Swiss Meringue
- 5 egg whites
- double the weight of the egg whites in sugar
Option 2: Italian Meringue
- 5 egg whites
- double the weight of the egg whites in sugar
- 100 ml water
Instructions
For the cookie base
- Process or crush the crackers with the salt until fine and mix with the melted butter.
- Grease your pan with vegetable oil, spread with a bit of kitchen paper. Cut a piece of baking paper so that it fits on the base and two of the sides and stick it in place using the oil. Place the cookies inside the pan and press down using your fingers, the base of a glass or the back of a spoon to press it down nicely.
- Take to a preheated oven at 160°C/320°F for 5-10min until it starts to become golden every so slightly. Be careful at this stage because it goes from golden to burnt pretty quickly.
- Let cool down completely before adding the filling so it doesn't get moist.
For the lime filling
- Mix the lime juice with the condensed milk.
- Add the yolks one by one and mix immediately so the yolks don't oxidize with the sugar from the condensed milk or the acidity from the limes.
- Pour onto the cookie base and bake in the oven still at 160°C/320°F for 20min.
- Let cool down completely and place in the fridge overnight.
- After this time, unmould the base and filling. To do this, run a knife around the edges without paper and lift it off using the paper.
Option 1: Swiss Meringue
- Make it as close as possible to the moment of serving, it's always nicer freshly made.
- Weigh out your egg whites and place them along with double their weight in sugar in a bowl that can resist heat. Place it on a bain-marie without touching the water below and mix every once in a while.
- Once you don't feel any sugar crystals at the bottom of the bowl (try with your finger) you can take it off the bain marie and mix it with a static or hand-held mixer until it cools down to room temperature and is firm.
Option 2: Italian Meringue
- Make it as close as possible to the moment of serving, it's always nicer when freshly made.
- Make sure that the pot, bowl and whisk are very clean and without any traces of fat. This can avoid the meringue from firming up. If you're doubting yourself, give everything a wash and dry thoroughly.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl where you'll be making the meringue. The sugar and water go into the pot.
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat and let it reach 116-118°C/240-244°F (you'll need a kitchen thermometer). From the moment it goes over 101°C/213°F it increases steadily so keep an eye on it.
- When the syrup reaches 110°C/230°F, start beating the egg whites at high speed. Once it reaches the temperature we need, remove the pot from the heat and add it slowly down the side of the bowl while still beating at high speed. We make it go down the side of the bowl so that it doesn't impact the whisk of the mixer.
- Keep beating until it has completely cooled down to room temperature.
Assembly
- Here you have two options:A) Cut the base and filling first into 4cm squares and then use a piping bag to place the meringue on top of each bar as I did. Then use a blowtorch to toast them lightly, or you can place them in the oven on broil for a few minutes to get it golden, or just serve it as it is.B) Spread the meringue onto the filling, torch it, toast it in the oven or torch it or just leave it as it is. Then slice it into squares.
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