Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

I had the privilege of eating dinner last night with a family that is very special to me. I always make a dessert to take with me. The 7-year-old requested "key lime pie or something like that," which I found pretty amusing. I can't say I know of too many kiddos who would request anything like that. I was expecting like brownies or some kind of cake. But I enjoy a good piece of real key lime pie (not that fake lime-flavored stuff)...so I was excited to see what I could come up with. 

I hit up Pinterest and found several different recipes that I liked parts of. So, I kind of went off of those and tweaked a thing here and there. The result? Delicious key lime cheesecake bars. They were creamy and perfectly tart. A great summer dessert. I was really glad that they turned out so well, and everyone liked them. About halfway through baking them, I realized that I'd never really done this before. The cheesecake thing. I've done my grandmother's mini cheesecakes, but that's different because she had written very specific instructions that I trusted. And this was a jumble of things off the internet that I put together. But definitely tasty. Very tasty.

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

For the Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup finely ground coconut

3 TBSP sugar

4 TBSP butter, melted

For the Cheesecake:

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup + 2 TBSP sugar

1 cup lime juice

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 TBSP all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

For the Glaze:

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 TBSP cornstarch 

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP key lime juice (takes about 4 key limes)

• Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare an 8x8 baking dish. 
• Mix all of the ingredients for the crust together and pour into baking dish. Pat down until even. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Let Cool.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325*F.
• With an electric or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. (I just let my KitchenAid run for about 5 minutes while I did other things.) Add the sugar and mix until combined. Add the lime juice, sour cream, and vanilla; mix until smooth and creamy. Turn down the speed of your mixer to low, and add the flour and salt, scraping the sides and bottom of your bowl to make sure everything is combined. Add all 3 eggs at once and mix until just combined. Pour over the cooled crust. Create a water bath by placing your 8x8 baking dish in a slightly larger baking dish, and fill it about 1/3 way with water. Bake for about 1 hour, until set. The center will still be a little jiggly, but it will set as it cools. 
• In a small sauce pan, combine all the ingredients for the glaze. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for a couple minutes (still whisking). Remove from heat and let cool some (but not until it's completely set). Pour over the cooled cheesecake.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top it off with some whipped cream and key lime slices.

Enjoy!