Coconut Lemon Lime Bars

I am back from a quick trip to Mexico and have a dessert inspired by my mini vacation. Like usual I mixed a little of this recipe with a little of that recipe to come up with these deliciously tangy Coconut Lemon Lime Bars. A perfect blend of tart filling, slightly salty cookie crust and sweet shredded coconut topping.

Coconut Lemon Lime Bars

Cookie Crust:
2 sticks butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Custard:
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbs grated lime peel
1/3 cup coconut

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes.
Add the flour and salt to the butter and combine until just mixed.
Press into a 13x9 pan. (I used my vintage Pyrex that was 12x7)
Bake 15-20 minutes.
While crust is baking make custard.
Whisk eggs, sugar, lime zest, lemon and lime juice, flour and baking powder.
Pour over warm crust.
Turn down oven to 325 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven sprinkling coconut on top.
Continue baking for 5-10 minutes longer.
Cool completely before cutting.

While in Mexico I did hear about the horrible earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. I can't even imagine what they are going through. My heart goes out to all of the people in Japan.

Coconut Lime Truffles

She put the lime in the coconut she drank them both up.

she put the lime in the coconut
she called the doctor, woke him up, and said
"Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take"
I said, "Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?"
I said, "Doctor ain't there nothing I can take"
I said, "Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?"

  

To keep in the Mexico frame of mind I made Coconut Lime Truffles from my Culinary Institute of America cookbook. The first day I made the coconut lime ganache out of coconut milk, heavy cream, corn syrup, lime zest/juice, and white chocolate, and refrigerated it overnight.

The next day I whipped the ganache back up and rolled them out. 

I tempered a mix of vanilla bean white chocolate and regular white chocolate to dip them in.

Once I coated the centers I sprinkled coconut on top.

The recipe was very simple and I like the combination of lime and coconut, they taste like key lime pie, but the final result wasn't the best. I did not like the white chocolate with vanilla bean, it was way to sweet and rich. I also felt it could use more of a coconut flavor, maybe mix shredded coconut in the ganache.

Well one recipe down eighty two more to go until I have made everything in the Culinary Institute of America  Chocolates and Confections cookbook. 

P.S  I accidentally came up with an idea for Coconut Bark. I mixed my leftover coconut and tempered white chocolate together and it was delicious. My thought is to add a layer of dark chocolate with it and maybe even almonds. YUM