Pie de Limón Cookie Bars Recipe
Pie de Limón Cookie Bars are based on my favorite Peruvian dessert, Pie de Limón! A thick cookie crust is topped with a tart and slightly sweet lemon and lime custard filling and a homemade meringue topping. They are quick and easy to make with 8 ingredients. I like to serve them with a hot cup of coffee or with Pollo a la Brasa for dessert!
Servings: 8
Cost: $9
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square baking dish
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle and whisk attachments or an electric hand mixer with 1 medium and 1 small bowl
- Frosting bag with star piping tip
Ingredients
Cookie Crust:
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch kosher salt
Limón Filling:
- 4 large eggs separated (we’ll be using the egg yolks and egg whites so be sure to save them both)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Juice from 2 lemons
- Juice from 1 lime combination of citrus juice should equal 1/2 cup
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Meringue Topping
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the cookie crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8-inch square baking dish with parchment on both sides. This pie is kinda sticky so I really think parchment is the way to go.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment (OR a medium bowl and an electric hand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the flour and and salt; mix until just combined. It will be crumbly.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and press into the bottom until it’s an even layer. Place the baking dish in the oven to bake for about 12 minutes.
To make the limón filling:
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment (OR in a clean medium bowl and an electric hand mixer), add the egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Beat until smooth.
- Pour the limón filling into the baking dish on top of the par-baked crust. Transfer to the oven to bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the top is just a little bit jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
To make the meringue topping:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the whisk attachment (OR in a clean small bowl and an electric hand mixer), add the egg white. Beat until foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt; and beat until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a piping tip with the desired tip (I used a star tip).
- Right before serving, slice up the cookie bars. Feel free to cut them up however you like. I got about 8 out of mine, but definitely get more if you like.
- Pipe little stars/blobs of meringue onto top. If you like, you can use a torch to brown the meringue.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Use parchment. This pie is pretty sticky so it’s best to line your baking dish with parchment so that it’s easier to lift out of the pan and it makes for easy cleanup!
- Limes. Use regular limes for this pie, not key limes. You really want that tart citrus flavor to come through in this dessert!
- A mixer makes life easier. You can use either a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand mixer to make these bars. The mixer will make the prep work quicker and easier! You can make them by hand, but it’s best to use a mixer if you plan on making the meringue topping.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg