Last Weeks of Summer Lime Bars

Last week I finally got around to using about half a dozen limes that I bought on impulse the week before. I was not sure what I wanted to make with them but finally I settled on something that would require lime curd. I set onto the task of making some lime bars using an oatmeal cookie crust to cradle the lime curd. I was inspired by the cookie crust used by Momofuku Milk Bar and the lemon lime bars form Baked. I guess you could say the result could be their love child.

For the cookie crust you can either use store bought oatmeal cookies or you can make your favorite recipe for these. I do recommend that whichever you decide on it is preferable if they do not contain raisins as these will most likely char during the baking process and give your dessert a bad bitter taste.


Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Aprox. 1 1/2 - 2 Cups Ground Oatmeal Cookies
2-3 TBSP Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the ground cookies with the butter, adding the butter a little bit at a time until you can form the mixture into a firm ball.

Place the ball on a square 12" x 12" baking dish. spread the mixture on the baking dish forming a crust that is approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Place in the oven for about 5 minutes to set it. Remove from oven and allow it to cool.


Lime Curd (modified form Baked Lemon Lime filling)

11 Large Egg Yolks
3 Large Eggs
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Lime Juice
3 TBSP Lime Zest
1/2 Cup Butter (Cut into small pieces and softened)
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the egg yolks, eggs, sugar, lime juice and lime zest in a sauce pan. Whisk to combine and cook over medium heat whisking constantly for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and heat bubbles start to appear. When done it should be firm like the consistency of frosting and the color will be an intense shade of yellow a  bit lighter than the initial color of your egg yolks.

Remove from the burner and add in the butter and heavy cream and whisk until evenly distributed. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any large pieces of zest, pouring it directly onto the oatmeal crust making sure that the curd is evenly distributed. Tap the baking dish lightly on the counter top to level the curd.

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until your curd is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once it reaches room temperature cover your baking dish with either a glass cover (if your baking dish has one), or plastic wrap (make sure to prop up some toothpicks strategically placed within along the lime bars to prevent the plastic from touching the lime curd). Leave in the fridge no less than 2 hours.

Once ready, cut, serve with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea.... and enjoy :)

Arepas de Anis - Fenel Corn cakes

I would like to apologize for not posting much this past week, but I have a really good reason for my lapse. My mother is visiting this week and I have been a little busy showing her around our new neighborhood and around Brooklyn in general because she had not had a chance to do it before. However, this visit of hers will benefit anyone who reads my blog and has been waiting to hear about Colombian food, and arepas in particular.

We made these about two days ago because she remembered that I loved them when I was a child (and because I got the ingredients together before she got here and begged her to show me how to make them). Without further delay here is the recipe:

Arepas de Anis
1 Cup Yellow Corn flour
1 TBSP Sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp Fenel Seeds (Crushed in a mortar, Fennel powder will not give you the same effect as the fennel will loose its flavor over time)
1 Cup Warm Milk
1 Cup Warm Water
1 1/2 Cup of Safflower Oil (for frying - you can use another vegetable oil that can handle high temperatures) 

Put your corn flour, sugar and fennel  in a bowl and and mix until well incorporated.

Mix your milk and water in a measuring cup and add this mixture slowly to the corn flour mixture until you have a smooth dough (almost like a short bread dough). You will know when the dough is at the right consistency because it will not be sticky.

Take your dough and form into balls about 2 inch in diameter.


Place these balls into either a layer of saran wrap or a plastic bag on a firm surface and flatten with a cutting board or other hard surface, making disks about 1/4 inch thick. Make a hole at the center of the disk and get ready to fry.

Heat your oil in a deep medium size pot over medium high heat. Test by adding a small piece of dough into the oil. Once the oil is at the right temperature you will see it start to bubble fast around the piece of dough.

Place your corn flour disk into the oil and cook on one side about 5 minutes or until golden and turn over to the other side allowing it to cook for another 5 minutes or until golden. The disks will fluff up a bit which is absolutely perfect. Remove from the oil allowing for a little draining over the pot.

When you remove your disks from the oil place them on a dish lined with paper towels to allow any excess oil to be drawn out.

Allow them to cool and enjoy with either a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate.