One of Matt’s favorite desserts is lemon squares, but when I made them this time, I decided to change it up and use lime juice instead.  I also added some ginger, again going for that ginger-lime combination I use for sherbet a few weeks ago.  This time, I again didn’t add enough ginger though, so if you want that to come through, add more!  Fresh ginger in the filling might help, too.

Everyone enjoyed the flavor of these with lime instead of lemon.  In fact I think I might like them even better than the original!  The extra tang from the lime just seems particularly summery.

Lime Squares

If you’d rather have more classic lemon bars, just use lemon juice instead of lime juice, and leave out the ginger.

For the crust:
2 sticks salted butter (or, use unsalted and add a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients, below)
2 c flour
1/4 c ultra fine sugar
1/2 t ground ginger

For the filling:
4 eggs
1/2 c fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 T flour
1/2 t baking powder
2 c sugar
1 t ground ginger

powdered sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a 13″ x 9″ pyrex dish, melt the butter. Stir in flour, ultrafine sugar, and 1/2 t ginger. Press into the bottom of the pan. Bake 325 F for fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs until frothy, and then add the juice. Beat in the flour, baking powder, and sugar, until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour over the crust, and bake at 325 F for 40-50 minutes, until set and barely coloring. Sift powdered sugar over the top while they’re still warm. Once cool, cut into squares.

I have a weakness for the juice/smoothie case at Whole Foods, and last weekend when we stopped in to get a few things for dinner, I found a new flavor I hadn’t tried before, called Red Ginger Lime.  I can’t remember who made it, but it was delicious — a sharp bite from the ginger, a tart kick from the lime, and a little bit of sweetness from some blood orange juice (which also turned it a lovely shade of deep magenta).  I was eager to try the ginger-lime combination again, and I’ve been wanting to break out the ice cream maker, so I made sherbet a few days later.  We had some watermelon that needed to be eaten too, so I used it to cut the sourness of the limes a bit.  (I’ve got something else with the ginger-lime combo cued up for later this week…)

The difference between a sorbet and a sherbet is the addition of dairy — sorbet is generally all fruit juice, while sherbet has some milk or cream.  I wanted this to be a bit creamy, so I opted for sherbet, which I think also lasts a little longer in the freezer before becoming icy, from the extra fat I guess.  I also wanted a very tart sherbet, which I got, but it’s maybe a little on the edge of too tart.  If you don’t like your mouth to pucker, I would definitely suggest adding more sugar or honey, or a little less lime juice.

Finally, it’s not quite gingery enough, honestly, and I think this to some extent depends on how strong your fresh ginger is.  But I found that the ginger flavor seemed more muted when frozen than before, and that the tartness of the limes was more pronounced after it was frozen, so that should help guide you to add more or less ginger and honey.

A very refreshing summer treat!

Watermelon Lime Sherbet

Adding alcohol helps keeps homemade ice cream from getting too icy, since the alcohol doesn’t freeze. The Cointreau could easily be substituted for something else though, such as vodka, or even vanilla. Even if you include the alcohol, the ice cream should be eaten within a couple days or it will get hard to scoop in the freezer.

Makes about a pint.

1/2 T grated ginger (about a 1″ piece), or more
zest of 2 limes
1 c cream
2/3 cup lime juice (from about 4 limes)
3/4 pound watermelon, seeded and cut in pieces (for 1 1/2 c puree)
1 T honey (or more to taste)
1 T Cointreau (optional)

Bring the cream to a simmer, or heat it gently in the microwave. Stir in the ginger and lime zest, and let steep for about half an hour. If you want your ice cream particularly smooth, you can then strain it, but I didn’t bother.

Puree the watermelon. Add the cream, lime juice, honey, and Cointreau, and puree together in a blender. Taste and adjust sweetness. Chill thoroughly (at least a couple hours).

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack down and freeze another hour or so before serving (optional, but it may be pretty soft just out of the ice cream maker).