I will never claim to understand inspiration. Sometimes I go weeks with nary an idea in sight and then have an avalanche of them. Sometimes I need to research and think deep weighty thoughts before an idea takes shape; other times, an offhanded comment is enough to get me started.
Such was the case with these bars. In mid-April, my Chief Recipe Taster and I were out hiking with a friend. As we got close to lunchtime, the talk naturally turned to food—what we’d been cooking lately, what we were in the mood for. Our friend mentioned that she’d recently made lemon bars and added a few fresh raspberries on top. The thought of a lemon raspberry bar made my mouth water. Inspiration seized me: I had to make my own. My ideal bar would be easy, made completely in the food processor; they would be somewhat seasonal (fresh raspberries were months away, at that point); and throw-together-able, with ingredients I usually had in the kitchen (lemon juice and raspberry jam). They’d be the kind of thing you could make with minimal effort and little forethought.
Sounds great, you might say. But wait a minute—you got this idea in mid-April and are just now posting about it at the end of June? Yes, that’s correct, and it wasn’t for lack of trying—it was because my Chief Recipe Taster can only eat so many desserts a day. After six(!) batches with a variety of problems (too much butter, too much filling, an unworkable idea for a crumb topping), I finally got reality to match inspiration. I might not understand inspiration, but I’m always happy when it strikes.
Lemon Raspberry Bars
Source: I Thought There Would Be Free Food
Makes 1 8×8-inch pan, ~9 squares
Active time: ~15 minutes; total time: ~65 minutes
Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
Filling Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (either bottled or fresh-squeezed are fine)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons raspberry jam (either seed-full or seedless will work)
Extra confectioner’s sugar for dusting, if desired
Directions
- Center a rack in the middle of your oven, then preheat it to 350°F.
- Butter and flour an 8×8-inch baking dish. Set it aside.
- While the oven is heating, put all of the crust ingredients (flour, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and butter) into a food processor. Pulse several times for a few seconds each go, then leave the processor running until the dough starts to clump together, about ~45 seconds. It’s okay if the mixture isn’t uniform—a few stray crumbs won’t matter.
- Tip the crust into the prepared baking dish and use the heel of your hand, or a large spoon, to firmly press the crust into the dish. Prick the crust several times with a fork, then slide the dish into the oven and bake until golden brown, ~20 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, add the lemon juice, confectioners’ sugar, and eggs to the food processor (no need to clean it before doing this) and process until the filling is well-blended and uniform. Let it settle, stirring gently if needed, to get rid of any froth on top of the mixture.
- Once the crust is done, remove it from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Spread the crust with the raspberry jam. Slowly, slowly pour the lemon filling over the jam, taking care so as not to mix the two layers. Return the dish to the oven and bake for a further ~25-30 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown and the center is set (you’re looking for a Jell-O like jiggle, not the Kool-Aid man).
- Let the bars cool completely before dusting them with powdered sugar, if you’re so inclined. Cut and eat.