I love a sweet bite riffing off favorite cocktails, from Aperol Spritz Cookies to Pimm’s Bars or a Gin and Tonic Cake. It takes a pretty standard idea to the next level. A simple strawberry bar with a snort of tequila and a dash of lime is something special, and a perfect end for a Mexican-style meal, like Slow Cooker Chilorio or Chicken Tinga. I posted a Strawberry Margarita Pie last year but switched it up here to portable and crowd-friendly bars. With strawberries in season and Cinco de Mayo here, it seems like the perfect treat. Crumbly shortbread with a creamy sweet filling and you can’t go wrong!
When baked, these bars are delicious, but lose some of their lovely pink strawberry color, so I usually add a little food coloring to pump it up (I don’t go over board on this batch, but do what you like). The filling before baking will look very pink, but it fades. You want to pour the filling over the warm crust, nut it is eay to make in the short time the crust is in the oven. Then finish the bars just until the filling has the slightest little jiggle. Cool and refrigerate before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar. A new trick to me for topping bars like this is to mix a little cornstarch (1 teaspoon to ¼ cup) with confectioners’ sugar which will prevent it from melting. But if you are making these ahead, I would wait to sprinkle the sugar until right before serving.
Ingredients
- For the Crust
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of one lime
- For the Filling
About 6 ounces strawberries, hulled (to make 1 cup puree)
1 Tablespoon tequila
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 – 3 drops red or pink food coloring (optional)
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
Directions
- For the Crust
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper with some overhang to lift out the cooked bars.
- Put the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add the flour, salt and lime zest and beat until the mixture is well combined and crumbly throughout, scraping the bowl as necessary. Dump the crumbs into the prepared pan and press into a tight, even layer. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to pack it tightly. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until it is lightly browned.
- For the Filling
- Cut the strawberries into pieces and put in a small food processor or blender with the tequila and blend to a smooth puree. Pour into a bowl and add the egg yolks, condensed milk and lime juice and whisk to combine completely. Add the food coloring if you like and whisk to combine. Pour the filling over the hot crust and spread to cover. Bake a further 15 minutes, until the filling is firm and no longer jiggly. Cool completely in the pan, the cover loosely and refrigerate for several hours.
- Mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl, the sift over the bars. Cut into squares and serve.
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