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Of all the the recipes that use lemon at the heart, lemon bars are a top favorite for me. The shortbread style crust and the slightly tart lemon topping make them a very more-ish kind of dessert. These coconut lemon bars have the tropical taste of coconut in them for a really special treat. Plus, there’s a simple shortcut that means this recipe is super easy to make.
To start this recipe off you’ll need to make the crust and then reserve some of this mixture for later. Press the majority of this crumbly mix into your baking dish and then bake for 8-10 minutes. Then add that reserved portion back into the food processor along with some tasty coconut and some slivered almonds.
Now for that shortcut I was talking about. Instead of zesting and juicing some lemons for the filling, these bars use pre-made lemon curd as the ultimate time saver. You can get this British treat in the jam and jelly aisle at the grocery. Lemon curd is full of lemon flavor and is both an economical and tasty filling for this recipe.
The last step is to pour the topping over the lemon curd and then bake again. You’ll need to give these bars some time to firm up in the fridge before cutting into squares, but that wait time is worth it.
The buttery crust, the rich coconut, and the tangy lemon are a perfect trio together and it’s so uncomplicated to make that you can whip this up in the afternoon and enjoy these bars for after dinner with ease.
Coconut Lemon Bars
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12 oz) jar lemon curd
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Sift in flour and baking soda. Blend until just combined. Receive 1/2 cup of this crust mixture. Press majority of mixture into bottom of greased 9”x9” baking dish. Level with bottom of flat glass or mug. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- While crust is pre-baking combine reserved crust mixture with coconut, almonds, and vanilla in blender or food processor.
- Spread lemon curd on top of crust while still hot. Level with back of spoon. Sprinkle coconut mixture on top.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges of crust are just beginning to brown. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before placing in fridge to cool for another 2 hours. Then slice into squares and serve.
Recipe adapted from Midwest Living.