Lime Dulce de Leche Bars

I definitely always intended to make these as a winter dessert, but I ended up being off by one major holiday. After buying all of the ingredients around Christmas, but completely running out of time to make them, the cans of sweetened milk sitting in my cupboard kept reminding me that I wasn't going to be able to think of anything else to make with them. So I made them sort of for Valentine's Day last weekend, and they lasted all week, which was a nice.

At first glance they're not exactly a winter recipe; they're sort of tropical for this time of year. But I think that's why I like them. The citrus zest and the tropical-ness of the coconut kind of cut winter dreariness.

Eventually, I promise to work harder to move past posting lime/coconut/chocolate dessert recipes, but for now I think these confirmed my love of coconut-based desserts. Without the lime and chocolate they would be be way too sweet, but with those ingredients they're interesting. That said, I cut them pretty small because of how rich they are. Without any kind of crust, though, they're super easy to make and also keep really well in the refrigerator.

Lime Dulce de Leche Bars

Makes about 2 dozen small bars

2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 C light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
14 ounce bag sweetened flaked coconut
5 ounce bag sliced almonds
zest of 1 lime (about 1.5 T)
1 C dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a 11x17 baking sheet (with raised edges if possible) with parchment paper.
3. In large mixing bowl, stir to combine the sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt.
4. Dump in the coconut, almonds, and lime zest. Stir.
5. Spread mixture out evenly onto baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown around edges.
7. Let cool so that bars harden; refrigerate any leftovers.