Cherry Lime Bars

These cherry lime bars are the best dessert! They're sweet, cold, and creamy,

and the perfect sweet treat to enjoy!

Cherry Lime Bars [Vegan]

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews (see note)
• 1 cup canned coconut milk (see note)
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Crust:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• zest from one lime
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup  powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Cherries:

• 1 1/4 cups dried cherries
• 1-2 tablespoons water

Preparation

1. First, soak the cashews: place the cashews in a bowl or large measuring cup, and add enough water to cover the nuts completely. Cover the bowl and let soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight (see note).
2. Once the cashews are done soaking, preheat oven to 350°F, and grease an 8×8 square baking pan with vegan butter. Line the pan with two overlapping sheets of parchment paper, which will create a sling to lift the finished bars out of the pan.
3. Next, make the crust: in a mixing bowl, blend the butter and lime zest with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Place a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl, then add the sugar, powdered sugar, and salt, sifting to remove any lumps. Blend until smooth, then sift in the flour. Blend until just combined and no streaks of dry flour remain. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan, and press it into an even layer about 1/2-inch thick. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool while you prepare the cherries and filling.
4. Place the dried cherries in a food processor and blend until they form a paste, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water to achieve a jam-like spreadable consistency. Set aside.
5. Drain the cashews, then place them in a blender. Add the coconut cream, lime zest, lime juice, maple syrup, cornstarch, and salt, and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, with no graininess.
6. Spread the cherry purée over the crust in an even layer. Pour the filling over the cherry layer, then place in the oven and bake until the center is set and no longer ripples when the pan is shaken, 35-45 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the fridge to cool uncovered until completely chilled, 2 to 4 hours.
7. When ready to serve, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper sling, and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the paper and cut the bars into your desired number of squares—for clean cuts, be sure to wipe off the knife between each slice. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy!

Notes

The longer the cashews soak, the softer they become. If you have a high-powered blender, soaking them for an hour should be sufficient. If you don’t own a high-powered blender, soaking the cashews longer will help ensure smooth and creamy bars. When opening a can of coconut milk, there will be a layer of thick cream at the top and a watery layer beneath. When measuring it for this recipe, first scoop the cream layer into a measuring cup, then top it off with the more watery coconut milk until it reaches 1 cup. Any remaining coconut milk can be discarded or saved for another use. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free cup-for-cup flour for the all-purpose flour.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/cherry-lime-bars-vegan-2/