Lemon Bars (recipe, pareve)

LEMON BARS P YIELD: ABOUT 24

They’re tart, they’re creamy and there’s no dairy!

Prep time: Crust- 15 min.  Chilling time- 30 min.  Baking time: 20-25 min.

Filling- 15 min.  Baking time: 20-25 min.  Cooling time- 30-45 min.

Ingredients – CRUST           

1 ¾ cups flour

¼ cup cornstarch                               

¾ teaspoon salt                   

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar             

12 tablespoons non-dairy margarine             

Ingredients- FILLING

4 eggs

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/3  cups sugar

4 large lemons

1/3 cup water/non-dairy milk/coconut milk

Pinch salt

Equipment

13x9x2-glass baking dish

Non-dairy baking spray

Baking parchment

Electric food processor

Medium mixing bowl

Whisk

Microplane/grater

Juicer

Cooling rack

Directions

Spray baking pan. Line with parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides of pan. Spray paper. Add an additional piece of parchment paper in the opposite direction so that it overhangs the other sides.

Crust: Place steel knife in bowl of food processor. Pour flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch and salt to bowl. Pulse three or four seconds. Add margarine and pulse ten to twelve seconds more or until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Scrape mixture into lined baking dish and press firmly with your fingers to form an even layer of dough that comes up about ½ inch around the sides of pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to: 350 F.

Bake crust about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Filling: While crust is baking, grate two lemons into mixing bowl. Squeeze juice from these lemons. Add as much juice from remaining lemons as necessary to yield 2/3 cup strained lemon juice.

Add eggs, sugar and flour to mixing bowl and whisk until well blended. Add lemon juice, salt and water/non-dairy milk/coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Reduce oven to: 325 F.

Pour filling mixture onto warm crust. Bake about 20 minutes or until filling feels set when touched lightly with finger tip. Cool on rack 30-45 minutes.

Grip sides of parchment and lift baked lemon bars onto cutting board. Fold paper down from all four sides. Cut into small squares or rectangles. Clean knife in between slices if necessary. Cover lemon bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

NOTE: Substitute some lime juice and grated lime rind for the lemon juice and rind. The lime juice adds a unique flavor while the lime rind adds a speckled look to the top of the bars. If you don’t like the green spots, sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar right before serving.