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lime meringue bars

Lime Meringue Pie Bars

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Course: Dessert, Tea Time
Cuisine: Low
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Fridge time: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 20 bars in a 20x20cm / 8x8in pan
Author: Lorena Salinas from Cravings Journal

Ingredients

For the cookie base

  • 150 g cookies, 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

For the meringue

  • 5 egg whites
  • double the weight of the egg whites in sugar

Instructions

For the cookie base

  • Process or crush the cookies 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.

For the 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.
  • 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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