Lemon Bars with Lavender Shortbread
As I walk through my neighborhood for what seems like the millionth time, I notice something new.
The citrus has arrived and little pops of orange and yellow in different sizes give me a new sight to see. Even sitting in my own backyard seems different now that our orange and lemon trees have sprung their fruits. Every time I pick them, the air around me smells like citrus and the cold, California winter day makes me feel brand new too. To care for these trees makes my heart happy. I love picking a ripe orange and setting down a pitcher of freshly squeezed juice at my breakfast table, and picking a lemon or two just when I need it. But when there is an abundance of fruit, I make lemon bars.
These lemon bars are more on the custard side than most. There is just enough crust, but a high layer of that lemon custard I like to serve on a plate like a slice of cake than just eat like a cookie type bar. A little bit of dried lavender is put into the shortbread crust to enhance the floral flavor of the Meyer lemons I get from my tree.
Lemon Bars with Lavender Shortbread Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon dried lavender
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 8 fl oz. fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 6 large whole eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- salt pinch
- Powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
- To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8x8-inch pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving two sides longer than the edge of the pan.
- Whisk the flour and powdered sugar until combined. Finely chop the dried lavender with a knife or in a spice grinder and add to the flour mixture. Working quickly with your hands, pinch the cubes of butter into the flour until you make coarse crumbs, being careful not to heat the butter up too much. Press the dough into the pan and bake until golden brown on top; about 20 minutes. While the crust is baking, make the filling.
- Whisk the flour and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to dissolve the sugar. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolk with the salt. (This will allow you to completely beat the eggs and incorporate them easier into the lemon sugar mixture without beating in too much air in the process). Add the eggs to the lemon juice mixture and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the lemon mixture onto the hot crust and reduce the temperature to 325. Bake another 28-30 minutes or until the filling is completely set and slightly puffed on the edges, with a small jiggle in the center.
- Cool completely and chill well before cutting. Lift the bars out of the pan by pulling on the extra foil and cut into bars, squares or triangles and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes:
For this batch I used Cup4Cup all-purpose flour blend.
