Raspberry Lemonade Bars

 photo: http://www.sophistimom.com/

Dessert for our Mother's Day picnic--these bars were perfect for an outdoor event. Thanks to Sophistimom.com for the recipe.

Ingredients:
for the crust:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, plus one tablespoon)
1/4 cup  sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch salt

for the filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1 egg
2/3 cup  freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2/3 cup  unbleached, all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup of frozen raspberries, defrosted
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

Get Cookin'

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius). Line a 8×8″ * square baking pan with a strip of parchment paper (8×14″) that covers the bottom and overlaps on either side. (This is so after it cools, you can pull out the entire pan of lime bars and cut them neatly. You can omit this step completely, though. You don’t even need to butter the pan.)

2. Cream butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer. Mix in flour until just incorporated. Flour hands and press dough into 8×8″ square baking pan, so that it comes up about a 1/2 inch around the sides.


3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. While it cools, prepare the filling.

4. Whisk sugar, egg whites, egg, lemon juice and zest, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Pour raspberries into a sieve and press through to extract all the pulp and juices. Whisk into lemon mixture and pour into crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is completely set. Let cool completely. (I help mine along in the freezer for about an hour.) Using the overlapping edges of parchment paper, gently lift the dessert from the pan. Cut into 16 squares. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.