Ok, so it’s not in torta form, but this torta de limao, or key lime bars are truly delicious. It’s a favorite that my husband had when living in Brazil from a sweet lady named, Vania. (Thank you for taking such great care of Cade!! You all meant so much to him!) These bars are light, tangy and I adore that graham cracker crust. I’m supposed to make it with meringue, but I’ve yet to try that. I’ll keep ya posted.

So, here’s  Cade and his thoughts on the dessert. Love you B. *I know his name is Cade, and B doesn’t make sense. Don’t worry about it;) *

“I lived in Brazil for awhile and toward the end of my stay I was introduced to this amazing, sweet and tart dessert.  At first I thought it was just a lemon meringue pie.  As I took my first bite I was taken back by the flavor and texture of it all.  It was creamy like banana pudding, but had the crisp peaks of the meringue and graham cracker-like crust.  The lime flavor combined with the sweetened condensed milk was an immediate party with my taste buds.  This is still one of my all time favorite desserts and brings back many great memories.  I think that’s what food does for us a lot.  I can not remember the names of all the people I enjoyed this dessert with but I made sure I came home with the recipe in hand and the name of this awesome treat!”

What Is La Lechera?

La Lechera is dulce de leche.

Dulce de Leche is a traditional Argentinian dessert made by caramelizing sugar in milk.

It is traditionally made by slowly heating sweetened milk until it is thick and caramel colored.

You can find Dulce de Leche in the baking aisle of your grocery store, by the evaporated milk, or in the Mexican cuisine area of grocery stores.

What Is Media Crema?

Media crema is half-and-half or light cream that comes in a can or box.

Media crema is not the same thing as evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk.

Can You Substitute Regular Limes for Key Lime?

You can substitute regular lime for key lime.

Key lime is a smaller lime, and is a little more sour than regular limes.

Key Lime Bars-Torta De Limao

Key Lime Bars - Torta De Limao

Print

Prep Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

Recipe from Vania in Brazil

• 3 Cups Graham Crackers Crushed
• 12 Tablespoons (a stick and a half) Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• Pinch of salt

For the Bars

• 1 1/2 Cans La Lechera, Leche Condensada
• 1 Small can Media Crema
• 4 Large Egg Yolks
• 1 Cup plus 1 tablespoon Lime Juice (sometimes I skip that tablespoon for time saving purposes)
• Zest from 2-3 Limes (usually a scant 2 teaspoons worth)

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt until it resembles wet sand.
2. Press into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake at 350 for 10 min.
4. Remove from oven to cool.

For the Bars

1. Using a whisk, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, creama, egg yolks, juice and zest.
2. Continue whisking to ensure that all ingredients get mixed well and the mixture begins to thicken.
3. Pour into the cooled crust.
4. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Let cool and then place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or until set.

Notes

*if the store is ever out of media crema, I'll skip it and just use two cans of leche condensada. Shhhh don't tell Cade! Also, occasionally this mixture doesn't thicken. I have no clue why. Almost always it does, but I'm just forewarning

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 2829 Saturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 1104.2mg Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrates: 287.6g Fiber: 14.3g Sugar: 120.2g Protein: 31.3g

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