This is a lemon square at its best! There’s a shortbread crust followed by a ribbon of non-dairy cream cheese and topped with the most delicious lemon curd imaginable. A sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar gives it a nice finishing touch. When I gave it to a friend who’s a real connoisseur to taste, she literally swooned over it. Elegant enough for any cake platter, or even on its own for dessert.
Luscious Lemon Bars
Recipe By Brynie Greisman
- Cooking and Prep: 1.5 h
- Serves: 10
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Contains:
Ingredients (14)
Crust
"Cream Cheese" Filling
Lemon Curd
Start Cooking
For the Crust
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Cream margarine and sugar in the mixer on high speed. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour and mix at low speed until fully incorporated.
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Press dough evenly into bottom of a nine-inch square baking pan lined with Gefen Easy Baking Parchment Paper. Refrigerate until firm, approximately 30 minutes.
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Halfway through, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
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Prick crust with fork and bake for 25 minutes or until crust turns golden brown. Cool to room temperature.
Note:
If you prefer a thinner crust, use a larger pan such as a 7x11-inch.
Prepare the Filling and Lemon Curd
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Prepare the "cream cheese" filling while the crust is baking. You can do this in the mixer, beating all ingredients until light and smooth, but I prefer to do it by hand so it stays nice and thick. It’s your call. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate.
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Prepare the lemon curd. Whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a medium-sized pot. Place over low heat and whisk in water and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient, as this can take up to 10 minutes.
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Remove from heat. Add lemon zest and oil and cool for 10 minutes.
To Assemble
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Spread chilled cream cheese filling evenly over cooled crust. Spread lemon curd evenly over filling.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes or until edges begin to turn light golden brown.
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Cool. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour before cutting into bars. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Note:
These bars should be refrigerated and taste best served cold.
Credits
Photography: Hudi Greenberger.
Food Styling: Renee Muller.
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