Key Lime Pie Meringue Bars |Cooking With Amanda

Friends…I am in desperate need of a toddler hairstyle that will hold for approximately five days.

I am heading out of town and my husband is in a panic over what to do with Lucy's hair. Baths, bedtime stories with funny voices, dinner, walks to the park and school drop-offs – he is a master at all aspects of the dailies. But the hair is what trips him up every single time.

It is at times like this that I find myself wishing that Lucy were one of those girls born with just a few stray wispies… fine, fly-away hair that does not yet reach the shoulder and can be held in place with a simple headband.

But not our Lucy. Her long, thick hair hangs halfway down her back. Cowlicks tuft it out in a few strategic spots, basically demanding that it be braided or secured in a ponytail daily and refusing to hang in a way that looks even close to being civilized.

The other night, my husband sat in the kitchen while I packed lunches, stressing out over the hair situation. It's Spirit Week at Lu's preschool, and Princess Day just so happens to fall on the day after I leave for my trip. Princess Day, of all days.

"Can you manage a regular ponytail?" I asked. "It doesn't have to be fancy. A regular ponytail is fine."

"Well," he replied. "I remember that half-hitch you taught me, but I can't ever get it to work."

A half-hitch. I have never heard of a half-hitch, and I'm fairly certain that no such hairstyle has existed in the history of the planet.

"I don't think I taught you that one," I replied.

"Oh sure," he said. "it's that ponytail on top where you only pull the hair through halfway. A half-hitch."

Oh honey. Bless. That is most certainly not a half-hitch. It's a topknot, and you just made basic white girls across the land drop their Frappuccinos, ruining their PINK yoga pants.

So we sat there with an American Girl doll, brushing, winding the elastic, and mastering the half-hitch. If there is one thing no one tells you about being a parent, it's how complicated the hair situation can be.

Let's all hope he masters the half-hitch in time for princess day.

Key Lime Pie is one of my favorite desserts on earth, and with Spring weather making an appearance here and there, I decided that these bars are just what we need to celebrate.

A shortbread crust, tart key lime filling, and a marshmallow meringue combine to make the perfect handheld treat. You know, for holding when you're not trying to put your daughter's hair into a half-hitch.

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Key Lime Pie Meringue Bars Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 stick butter, cut into cubes

For the Filling:

6 large eggs
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup key lime juice
zest of 4 key lime

For the Meringue:

3 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour and powdered sugar for crust.
Cut in butter (I use my hands; you could also use a fork or a food processor) until the mixture forms a dough.
Crumble dough evenly into an ungreased 9x13 pan, then press with your hands to cover the surface.
Bake crust for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden around the edges.

Prepare the Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, sugar, key lime juice, and zest on medium speed for about a minute and a half.
Pour over crust and bake for about 20 minutes or until filling is set and no longer runny on top. Remove from oven, let cool, and chill bars until cold and firm.

Make the Meringue:

In a metal mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk together egg whites and sugar for meringue.
Whisk until sugar seems to have melted and the mixture forms a syrup, about 10 minutes.
Remove from stove and set bowl on your mixer. Beat on high with the whisk attachment until it forms stiff peaks.

To Serve:

Cut chilled bars into squares.
Pipe or spoon meringue on bars and brown with a small kitchen torch (alternately, you could pop the bars under your oven broiler, just keep a close eye so the meringue doesn't burn).
Serve.