Zesty Citrus Bars
One of my favorite clients, when I was on the agency side, was Sunkist - not the soda brand... the cooperative of family growers who nurture and provide globally the sunniest of fruits - fresh citrus! It was one of those "match made in heaven" client projects where I got to build a social voice for the brand, work with registered dieticians, chefs, and bloggers to build beautiful recipes, and the best part, attend photoshoots where we styled everything from delicious meals to fancy cocktails. I've always had a love for citrus, and my kitchen always has at least half a dozen of lemons and limes in the fruit bowl. During winter (peak citrus season), I go ham for all of the in-season tangerines, mandarins, and oranges. And if I got to pick my mimosa, I always opt for freshly squeezed grapefruit.
During the summer, I love whipping up lemon bars. However, a lot of the bars I've eaten are super, sugary sweet. The shortbread is overloaded with butter, and I end up feeling like I'm going to get a stomach ache after a few bites. With this recipe, I experimented using coconut oil, honey, and maple syrup to provide sweetness and cut down the amount of granulated sugar required in most recipes. I also add some lime zest to add fun color to the filling.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt coconut oil and honey. Mix flour, honey mixture, ginger, and cardamom into a shortbread paste.
Pat onto parchment lined 8x8 baking tray. Bake shortbread layer for 10-12 min until golden around the edges.
Whisk egg, sugar, maple syrup, flour, lemon extract, vanilla, citrus juice and zest.
Pour filling on top of shortbread layer. pop back in oven for 20-25 mins at 300 degrees, until filling no longer jiggles.
Remove from tin, and let cool on a cooling rack. Wait until cooled before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares for serving.
