Key Lime Bars

Posted by request; made easy by using a cake mix.

• Ready In: 54 mins
• Yields: 24 large bars

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4ounce) package  vanilla cake mix
• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 4  large eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2⁄3 cup  fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1  tablespoon  grated lime rind

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°; position oven rack in middle of oven; spray a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Reserve 1 tablespoon cake mix; set aside.
3. In a big bowl, add remaining cake mix, melted butter, and egg yolk; blend 1-2 minutes using an electric mixer on low speed until well blended and crumbly.
4. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan; bake 15 minutes.
5. While crust bakes, in a big bowl, whisk the eggs, condensed milk, lime juice, and reserved cake mix until blended and smooth.
6. Stir in lime zest; carefully spread mixture over warm base layer.
7. Bake an additional 20-24 minutes or until topping is set and golden brown.
8. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
9. Refrigerate until cold before serving, at least 2 hours; cut into bars.
10. *Creamy Lemon Bars—prepare as directed but use lemon juice in place of lime juice and lemon zest in place of lime zest.
11. *Orange Burst Bars—prepare as directed but use ½ cup orange juice plus 2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice in place of lime juice and orange zest in place of lime zest.