Lime Pistachio Squares

It's been quite a while since I posted anything on this blog but I thought it might be time to start things up again.

While I can't guarantee that I'll manage to post nearly as frequently as I did once upon a time, it seems like as good a time as any to give it another shot. With the weather in Ottawa finally starting to improve, I'm feeling a little more motivated to do more than just hibernate on the couch watching every episode of Friday Night Lights. 

So, inspired by Spring and the close proximity of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to start things off with a green(ish), spring-like dessert - Lime Pistachio Squares from my old standby Martha Stewart. 

Lime Pistachio Squares
Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes 16 to 25 squares

Crust 

• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon of grated lime zest

Filling

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper to keep the squares from sticking and to make it easier to get them out of the pan later on.  

Grind up the pistachios in a food processor until they're close in size to the graham crumbs. Mix the nuts, crumbs, sugar, and zest in a bowl. Add the butter, mix until crumbly, and press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, and let cool for about half an hour before adding the filling.

To make the filling, whisk egg yolks, condensed milk, and lime juice until combined. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and spread evenly into the corners. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes until the filling is set. 

Cool the squares in the pan on the counter for at least an hour and then cool in the fridge before cutting. Use a serrated knife to cut the squares and wipe with a damp paper towel between cuts if you're finding the knife is getting sticky. 

These squares were delicious. A little tart from the lime and a little salty from the pistachios. The filling was nice and creamy and didn't firm up too much. They were also super easy to make.

One change I would make next time would be to skip the step of pushing the crust up the sides of the pan. The sides ended up too high for the amount of filling I had and, when I cut them, the crust just crumbled all over the filling making them less than attractive to look at. It also didn't help that I was way too impatient and tried to take them out of the pan after only about 20 minutes. I don't recommend it.   

It's been so long since I've done this that I'm feeling a little lost for ideas. If you have any treats you'd like to see me make, leave me a comment below.