Key Lime Bars

Makes 16 squares

5 oz animal crackers
3 Tbs brown sugar
pinch table salt
4 Tbs 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbs grated zest from 1 lime
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup juice from about 20 Key limes or from about 3 regular, Persian, limes

Do not use bottled lime juice.
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden and crisp

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325°F.

Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with 2 pieces of foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.

Crust

Pulse the animal crackers in a food processor until broken down, about 10 pulses.

Continue processing the crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds; you should have about 1/4 cup crumbs.

Add the brown sugar and salt; process to combine, 10 to 12 pulses.

Drizzle the butter over the crumbs and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened with the butter, about 10 pulses.

Press the crumbs evenlt and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

Do not turn off the oven.

Cool on a wire rack while making the filling.

Filling

While the crust cools, in a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, zest, and salt with a rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined.

Add the sweetend condensed milk and whisk vigourously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain.

Whisk in the egg yolk.

Add the lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated, the mixture will thicken slightly.

Pour the filling into the crust.

Spread to the corners and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.

Bake until set and the edges begin to pull away slightly from the sides, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

Loosen the edges with a pairing knife and lift the bars from the baking pan using the foil sling.

Cut the bars into 16 squares.

Sprinkle with the toasted coconut, if using, and serve.

The Eidtors at America's Test Kitchen. The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook. Page 722. United States of America: Penguin Random House 2016.