I love a good lemon bar! A lot of the time, they’re a little too sweet for my liking, so I cut back the sugar a bit on this recipe to let the tartness of the lemons and raspberries come through. You can absolutely make this recipe without the raspberry swirl and they are still delicious!

Yield: 15 Lemon Bars

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Bake Time: 45 Minutes

Total Time (Includes Cooling): 2 Hours

Ingredients:

For the Raspberry Swirl:

1 Pint (240g) Fresh Raspberries

3 Tbs (36g) Granulated Sugar

Pinch of Salt

3 Tbs (44g) Water

¼ Cup (60g) Raspberry Preserves

Optional: 1 Tbs (15mL) Framboise Liqueur

1 Tbs (8g) Cornstarch

 Directions:

1.     In a small saucepan, cook the raspberries, sugar, salt and water over medium heat for a few minutes, until bubbling. 

2.     Whisk for a minute, then add the raspberry preserves and framboise then whisk to combine. 

3.     Strain the sauce with a sieve to get the seeds out, then return to the pot and sift in the cornstarch. 

4.     Whisk over medium heat until it simmers, lower the heat and whisk until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

5.     Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using. 

You can store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and use for a variety of desserts!

For the Crust:

 2 Sticks (1 Cup, 226g) Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature

½ Cup (100g) Granulated Sugar

2 Cups (240g) All Purpose Flour

Pinch of Salt

 Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180g).

2.     In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for a minute until well combined. 

3.     Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. 

4.     Press the dough in to a 9x13 inch glass baking dish, pushing it up the sides a bit. You do not need to grease the pan. 

5.     Chill the dough for 15 minutes. 

6.     Prick the dough all over with a fork, then bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 

7.     Allow to cool completely.

You can make the crust in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for a day.

For the Lemon Filling:

 6 Large Eggs at Room Temperature

2 Cups (400g) Granulated Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 Cup (240mL) Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

3 Tbs (20g) Lemon Zest

1 Cup (120g) All Purpose Flour

 Directions:

1.     Mix the eggs, sugar and salt together until well combined. 

2.     Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until combined. 

3.     Add the flour and gently whisk to combine. 

4.     Pour the mixture on top of the cooled crust. 

5.     Put spoonfuls of the cooled raspberry mixture all over the lemon and use a knife to swirl it around. 

6.     Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until the lemon curd is set and doesn’t jiggle. 

7.     Allow to cool completely before cutting, they need to set up. 

8.     Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired. 

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.