Lighter Lemon Bars

My favorite recipes are lighter, but still full of flavor. This recipe was a hit at our 4th of July party and no one suspected it wasn't made with the traditional eight egg yolks. It was a refreshing end to our meal. 

Crust Ingredients

3/4 c flour

1/3 c powdered sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 1/2 t grated lemon zest

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

4 T cold butter cut into 1/2" pieces

1 T whole milk*

Topping Ingredients

3/4 c sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg white

2 T flour

1/8 t salt

1 T grated lemon zest

6 T lemon juice*

**You can substitute skim milk for whole milk, and since there wasn't a ripe, juicy lemon at a grocery store in the Milwaukee area, I used four tablespoons lemon juice and two tablespoons lemonade.

Method

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and coat foil with cooking spray. 

Pulse dry crust ingredients in food processor. Add the milk and butter and pulse a few times until it resembles wet sand. Transfer to baking dish and press into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes until edges are very light brown. Do not over bake.

Lower oven temperature to 325 and allow crust to cool. Whisk first four ingredients together until smooth. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour into crust and bake at 325 for 15 to 20 minutes until set.

Allow bars to cool for one hour. Dust with additional powdered sugar. And enjoy a delicious summer treat!