I love the salted margarita bars from NYT Cooking and thought it would be fun to make them using a different alcohol! Most of my family prefers gin over tequila (crazy I know) so they really liked this version. These are so fun for a party or as a snack! Be sure to eat responsibly 😉

Makes 16 bars

For the crust

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted
• One 4-ounce (113-gram sleeve) of saltine crackers
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the filling 

• 2 teaspoons of lemon zest
• 1/2 cup plus half a tablespoon of lemon juice (from about 4 to 5 lemons) 
• 1/4 cup plus a tablespoon and a half of gin, I use Tanqueray
• A pinch of kosher salt 
• 5 large egg yolks 
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (see note)
• Flaky salt

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add parchment paper to a 9×9 inch baking pan and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside while you prepare the crust. 
2. To a food processor, add the saltines and pulse until the crackers are completely broken down. Then add in the melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse a couple of times to incorporate the butter. Add this mixture to the baking pan and spread into an even layer. Freeze for 15 minutes and then bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Once the crust is out of the oven and cooling, we can make the filing. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, gin, and salt to a liquid measuring glass and whisk to combine. 
4. In a large bowl, add the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk and whisk together. Now whisk in the gin mixture and once combined, pour it on top of the crust. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. The gin curd should be set but still slightly jiggly in the middle. Remove from the oven transfer to a cooling rack and allow it to come to room temperature. I like to sprinkle flaky salt on top at this point.  
5. Once cooled, freeze for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars. 
6. After freezing, remove from the pan, cut into 16 bars, and enjoy! You can store the leftovers in the freezer. 

Notes:

• SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: I have tried unsuccessfully TWICE to make these bars with oat milk-sweetened condensed milk and each time they curdled in the oven. If you ever find a solution let me know!