Lemon Lime Bar Parfait

I love the mixing of glasses. The pink and yellow goblets are from the wonderfully tacky Madonna Inn.

What happened? My last two lemon recipes, one from Baked and the other from Momofuku Milk Bar failed. Well, failed my be a little harsh, since they were both still tasty, just not what I had in mind.

The lemon parfaits I made were good. The Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream was extremely delicious. The graham cracker crumbs were graham cracker crumbs. But Momofuku Milk Bar Lemon Filling (I don't call it curd, because hello, I don't eat CURD) was a little salty, and not something to eat on its own. When put all together though, they made a pretty decent parfait, but there was still some room for improvement.

Then there was Baked's Lemon Lime Bars, which tasted extremely delicious. The coconut crust was terrific and I would love to use the recipe for other pies.(Ooh, Chocolate Cream) The Lemon Filling was sweet and tangy.  The problem was that they weren't bars, they were goop, best served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon.

So I think if I made a parfait with the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream recipe and the Lemon Lime Bar recipe, it would be close to perfection.

Lemon Lime Bar (Parfait)
From Baked 
I am posting the original Baked Lemon Lime Bar recipe with notes on how to turn them into a parfait.

Graham-Coconut Crust (Crumbs)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 15-17 crackers)
2 Tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
 

Lemon Lime Filling

11 large egg yolks
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons grated lime zest
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream

Graham-Coconut Crust

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 baking pan or spray with cooking spray. 
* For parfaits, skip the greasing of the pan.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, spread out the coconut. Bake in the oven until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the coconut, and return to the oven for 3 more minutes.

Put graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl, add the toasted coconut and the brown sugar, and toss with your hands until combined. (I used a fork. I don't like using my hands in food if I can help it, and when I do use my hands I wear vinyl gloves. Just a personal quirk.) Mix in the melted butter. Press the crust up the sides and bottom of the pan in an even layer.
* For parfaits, you don't need to press the crumbs into the pan, just pour in evenly.

Put the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, (I don't know exactly why you need to do this step.) 

Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely. 

 Lemon Lime Filling

Increase the oven temperature to 325.

Put the egg yolks, eggs, sugar, lemon and lime juices, and lemon and lime zest in a large, clean metal pot. Whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture registers 180 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and cream. Pour through a fine mesh sieve directly into the cooled crust. Spread evenly. 
 *For parfaits, pour into a clean 13x9 pan (I don't know about this part, it's just a guess, maybe you can skip it.)


Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until filling is just set. Let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Don't let plastic touch the filling, if making bars.


Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
From Martha Stewart

2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup sugar

Chill mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Place heavy cream in a medium bowl. Cut vanilla bean in half and scrape seed into cream. Add the bean to cream and whisk to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Strain cream through fine-mesh sieve into chilled mixing bowl. Whisk on medium speed for 1 minute. With mixer running add the sugar. Increase speed to medium high and beat until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.


*Prepare the Lemon Lime Bar Parfaits

Prepare the parfaits the day of serving, otherwise the crust will become soggy. 

Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag with the tip cut off. In another pastry bag do the same with the lemon filling.

Sprinkle a layer of crust crumbs on the bottom of the parfait glass. Pipe in a layer of lemon followed by a layer of whipped cream. Continue layering until the glass is full, ending with a whipped cream layer. Top with a raspberry and a candied lemon peel.