I have been looking for the right time to make this recipe for quite a while. We were going to an informal gathering where I knew one person loved key lime pie and another person loved tequila, so I determined it was finally time.

Fair warning, these are best suited for adults. You can absolutely taste the alcohol. While the bars are baked, it’s not for long enough for the alcohol to cook off. As someone who likes the flavors in a margarita, I’m okay with this.

I recommend using both a good quality blanco tequila (one that’s 100% agave) and orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau) since you can taste them. It’s not worth using your favorite reposado or añejo tequila – blanco is good enough.

While a key lime pie is made with graham crackers (or ginger snaps – check out Lime Pie with Ginger Snap Crust), the base for these bars are saltine crackers. The crackers are mimicking the salt on the rim of your favorite margarita. I made the base gluten-free/wheat-free by using Schär’s Table Crackers which I found at my local Wegmans. A pretzel (regular or gluten-free) base would achieve the same salty result – a variation I plan to try in the future.

Due to the alcohol in the filling, these bars are best kept frozen (or at least refrigerated) until you’re ready to serve them as they get soft at room temperature. I cut them and finished (sprinkled with flaky sea salt and lime zest) them at home, put them on a plate, and wrapped them in plastic wrap before heading to our friends’ house. Once there I put them back in the freezer and took them out just before serving. 

I cut them into small bars (32 bars) but you can cut them larger (16 bars) or even larger if you wanted to serve it more like a pie slice on a plate. I love how they look on this cobalt blue Frank Lloyd Wright Whirling Arrow platter that we purchased at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2013. The Whirling Arrow was the logo that Wright designed for Taliesin West in the 1940s.

I am pleased to share that these little bars were a hit. Our key lime pie loving friend said he may even like these better. 

Margarita Bars

 

Margarita Bars
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author:
Serves: 16 to 32 bars
Ingredients
Crust
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
  • About 40 saltine crackers (~ 4-ounces) (see Notes)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Filling
  • 3 teaspoons lime zest (~ 3 limes) (divided)
  • ½ cup juice (~ 4 limes) (see Notes)
  • ¼ cup tequila (preferably blanco)
  • 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
  • Pinch of Kosher salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • For finishing: Flaky salt (such as Maldon) and lime zest
Instructions
Make Crust:
  1. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line the buttered pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. (This will help you remove the bars from the pan more easily.)
  2. In a food processor, pulse the saltine crackers until ground like coarse sand. (Alternatively, place them in a sealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.) It’s fine if there are a few larger pieces.
  3. Add the melted butter, sugar and salt, and pulse a few more times until all the crumbs are evenly saturated (or mix to combine in a medium bowl). Pour the mixture into the lined pan, press into an even layer (you can use the back of a spoon to smooth out the mixture) and freeze for about 15 minutes.
  4. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  5. After the crust has chilled, bake it until fragrant and golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Make Filling:
  1. While the crust cools, prepare the filling (see Notes). In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons lime zest, lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and salt.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk.
  3. Add the tequila-lime mixture to the yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Pour mixture onto the prepared crust. (It’s OK if the crust is not yet completely cool.)
  4. Bake 15 to 17 minutes until the curd is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center.
  5. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly (about 30 minutes) and then freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  6. After freezing, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and transfer to a cutting board.
  7. Just before serving, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and the remaining teaspoon of lime zest (you may not need all of the lime zest).
  8. Cut into 16 to 32 bars and serve right away or carefully wrap and place them back in the freezer or refrigerator (see Notes).
  9. If you have leftovers, store them in the freezer for a few weeks.
Notes
* Want to make this gluten-free? Look for gluten-free crackers that are similar to saltine crackers. I used Schär’s Table Crackers. I’d recommend weighing the crackers to ensure you have the right amount.
* Before squeezing a lime, heat it in a microwave for about 20 seconds and then rub it back and forth on the counter top. This easy two-step process results in more juice per piece of fruit.
* You may be tempted to prepare the curd earlier, but don’t do so more than 10 minutes before baking, as the lime juice will start to thicken it, which could affect how they bake.
* Due to the alcohol in the filing, these bars soften quickly when removed from the freezer or refrigerator. I recommend taking them out just before serving. They taste great chilled.
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Source:  Variation on recipe from New York Times Cooking