Tio Tito's Sublime Lime Bar Cookies

Blackberry Pie Murder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

## Ingredients

* 1/2 cup finely-chopped coconut ***(measure after chopping--pack it down when you measure it)***
* 1 cup cold salted butter ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, 1/2 pound)***
* 1/2 cup powdered ***(confectioners)*** sugar ***(no need to sift unless it's got big lumps)***
* 2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down when you measure it)***

* 4 beaten eggs ***(just whip them up with a fork)***
* 2 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1/3 cup lime juice ***(freshly squeezed is best)***
* 1/3 cup vodka ***(I used Tito's Handmade Vodka)***
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ***(pack it down when you measure it)***

* Powdered ***(confectioners)*** sugar to sprinkle on top

### Coconut Crust:

* To get your half-cup of finely-chopped coconut, you will need to put approximately 3/4 cup of shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor. ***(The coconut will pack down when it's finely-chopped so you'll need more of the stuff out of the package to get the half-cup you need for this recipe.)*** Chop the shredded coconut up finely with the steel blade. Pour it out into a bowl and measure out 1/2 cup, packing it down when you measure it. Return the half-cup of finely chopped coconut to the food processor. ***(You can also do this by spreading out the shredded coconut on a cutting board and chopping it finely by hand.)***
* Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces and arrange them in the bowl of the food processor on top of the chopped coconut. Sprinkle the powdered sugar and the flour on top of that. Zoop it all up with an on-and-off motion of the steel blade until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
* Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular cake pan by spraying it with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, for even easier removal, line the cake pan with heavy-duty foil and spray that with Pam. ***(Then all you have to do is lift the bar cookies out when they're cool, peel off the foil, and cut them up into pieces.)***
* Sprinkle the crust mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread it out with your fingers. Pat it down with a large spatula or with the palms of your impeccably clean hands.

**Hannah's 1st Note: If your butter is a bit too soft, you may end up with a mass that balls up and clings to the food processor bowl. That's okay. Just scoop it up and spread it out in the bottom of your prepared pan. *(You can also do this in a bowl with a fork or a pie crust blender if you prefer.)***

**Hannah's 2nd Note: Don’t wash your food processor quite yet. You'll need it to make the lime layer. *(The same applies to your bowl and fork if you make the crust by hand.)***

* Bake your coconut crust at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. While your crust is baking, prepare the lime layer.

### Lime Layer:

* Combine the eggs with the white sugar. ***(You can use your food processor and the steel blade to do this, or you can it by hand in a bowl.)*** Add the lime juice, vodka, salt, and baking powder. Mix thoroughly. Add the flour and mix until everything in incorporated. ***(This mixture will be runny--it's supposed to be.)***
* When your crust has baked for 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and set it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack. **Don't shut off the oven! Just leave it on at 350 degrees F.**
* Pour the lime lay mixture on top of the crust you just baked. Use potholders to pick up the pan and return it to the oven. Bake your Sublime Lime Bar Cookies for an additional 30 minutes.
* Remove the pan from the oven and cool your lime bars in the pan on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack. When the pan has cooled to room temperature, cover it with foil and refrigerate it until you're ready to serve.
* Cut the bars into brownie-sized pieces, place them on a pretty platter, and sprinkle them lightly with powdered sugar. Yum!

**Hannah's 3rd Note: If you would prefer not to use alcohol in these bar cookies, simply substitute whole milk for the vodka. This recipe works both ways and I can honestly tell you that I've never met anyone who doesn't like my Sublime Lime Bar Cookies!**