July 18, 2012

Lime Mint Ice Cream Bars (no ice cream maker needed)

I love the fresh flavors of mint and lime. A creamy dessert that combines them is right up my alley. You will need to clear some acreage in your freezer for these. And have patience. You have to make these in two stages and they take several hours to freeze.




















Lime Mint Ice Cream Bars

Ingredients:
1 package graham crackers
small handful salted pistachios
dash of ground ginger
1/4 Cup butter (1/2 a stick) (room temperature or fridge temperature both work)
2 Cups heavy cream
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (we use fat free, but regular works)
1/2 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
finely grated zest of one lime (or two if you love lime like I do)

Make a crust for the bottom:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9 X 13 glass baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a few inches overhanging the sides.
Pulverize the graham crackers and pistachios in a food processor with the ginger.
Add the butter (in chunks if its cold).
Pulse until blended to a coarse meal.
Press into the bottom of the baking pan.
Bake until golden, 8 minutes or so.
Remove from oven.
Let cool completely.
This will mean waiting 1/2 an hour.

Prepare the filling:
Use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream, condensed milk and sour cream into thick stiff peaks. This will take 4-5 minutes. Fold in the mint and lime zest. Pour into the baking pan. Use a spatula to smooth it to even depth. Cover and freeze until firm (several hours).

Serving:
When ready to serve, transfer to a cutting board and cut into bars. Makes 18 bars if you make two slices the length of the pan (for 3 long rows) and divide each row into 6 bars.

Variations:
The original recipe in Women's Day that was my inspiration called for a crust of gingersnaps and butter (36 gingersnaps and 1/4 Cup butter). It also called for 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla in the filling.

The original recipe also said they could be kept frozen for up to 2 weeks.
I can't attest to that because it's never taken that long for them to get eaten.