Key Lime Bars with Gingersnap Cookie Crust

CRUST
2 cups finely crushed *crunchy* gingersnap cookies (or graham crackers)
3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted


FILLING
4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 large egg yolks
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (not fat free)
1/2 cup key lime juice or 1/4 cup lemon juice & 1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest (about 1 lime)


DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Lightly spray 9x9 pan with nonstick spray.
2.Crust: Pulverize the crunchy gingersnap cookies into a fine crumb with a food processor. Pour into a medium sized bowl and mix with the melted butter.
3. Press crust firmly and evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes as you make the filling.
4. Filling: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth.
5. Beat in the egg yolks, scraping down the sides as needed.
6. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest until combined.
7. Pour into the warm crust. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges of the bars begin to brown.
8. Allow the bars to cool at room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, place the the refrigerator to chill completely, at least 2 hours.

Salted Caramel Ganache Tart

INGREDEINTS

FOR THE CRUST:
1 ½ cups flour
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL:
1 ½ cups sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
¼ tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. water
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. crème fraiche

FOR THE GANACHE:
½ cup heavy cream
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Gray sea salt for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Transfer dough to a 9" fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

2. Make the caramel: In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.

3. Make the ganache: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours. Sprinkle tart with sea salt, slice, and serve chilled.

Coconut Pumpkin Custard

Recipe from A Taste of Thai

INGREDIENTS
1-13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
1 cup canned pure pumpkin (not pie mix)
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Cinnamon sugar (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. With a mixer or whisk, beat Coconut Milk, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, salt, extract and nutmeg until well mixed. Fill each custard cup with 2/3 cup of pumpkin mixture and lightly sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.
3. Make a water bath by filling a 9" x 13" baking dish with 4 cups of hot water. Place each filled custard cup in baking dish.
4. Carefully place baking dish in oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center of the custard comes out clean.
5. For an extra fancy presentation sprinkle each 'cold' custard with a teaspoon of sugar. Melt sugar with a torch or under a broiler until just golden. Watch the heating process carefully, as the sugars can turn from golden to burnt very quickly.

YIELD
6 - 2/3 cup servings

TIME
10 minutes to assemble
40 minutes to bake
Total time: 50 minutes