LEMON CURD BARS SHORTBREAD CRUST RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with enough parchment to hang over two of the sides (to be used as handles later to lift the bars out of the pan).
• To make the shortbread base, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor, or whisk together in a large bowl. Add butter and pulse (or use two knives or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Press dough into prepared pan and bake until shortbread is pale golden all over, 30 to 35 minutes.
• While the shortbread is baking, prepare the lemon curd: Grate 1/2 tablespoon zest from lemons and set aside. Squeeze lemons to yield 3/4 cup juice.
• In a small saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, sugar, eggs and yolks, cornstarch and fine sea salt over medium heat until boiling and thickened, 2 to 5 minutes. Make sure mixture comes to a boil and stays there for 30 seconds or so; you should see it thicken up before you take it off the heat. But once it boils do not cook for longer than 1 minute or you risk the curd thinning out again. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in butter, olive oil and lemon zest.
• When the shortbread is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully pour the lemon curd onto the shortbread base; return the pan to the oven. Bake until topping is just set, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and flaky sea salt right before serving.

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 (second-lowest rack).
• Butter an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish.
• To make the crust: combine flour, sugar and salt in a small processor; blend for about 5 seconds.
• Add in flaked coconut and cold butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and clumps together.
• Press the dough over the bottom of prepared pan (do not pack to tightly).
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden around the edges.
• In a medium bowl whisk together all the filling ingredients (except the powdered sugar) until smooth.
• Remove the crust from the oven and pour the filling over the hot crust.
• Return to the oven and bake until the filling begins to brown around the edges, and is JUST set and springy to the touch (around 25-30 minutes).
• Cool the lemon bars completely before slicing.
• Sift with powdered sugar.
• **NOTE** if you want to remove the bars from the baking dish before slicing them, place a piece of buttered foil on the bottom of the dish (leaving an overhang of foil) before patting in the crust mixture. When the bars are COMPLETELY cool, remove them with the foil overhang, my advise would be to place the bars in the fridge before removing them with the foil to avoid breakage of the crust.