Julienne's lemon coconut bars
Dear SOS: Prior to visiting the Huntington Gardens recently, I stopped at the Julienne Gourmet Market in San Marino and had the most amazing lemon squares — tart and flaky, and with a filling that had both lemon and coconut! Any chance you could obtain the recipe? Thanks!
Lisa Lewis
Redlands
Dear Lisa: Rich with caramel flavors from the toasted coconut “crust,” lightly tart with fresh lemon juice and zest, perfectly sweet and baked over a shortbread crust, these bars are mighty hard to resist. Julienne was happy to share the recipe, which can also be found in its cookbook “Celebrating With Julienne.”
Crust
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-by-9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix the flour and powdered sugar in a food processor to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle the mixture over the prepared baking pan and press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack, and cool completely.
Lemon coconut bars
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until blended. Whisk in the lemon juice and lemon zest, then whisk in the flour and baking powder. Fold in the coconut. Transfer the mixture to the cooled crust.
Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling is just set in the center when the pan is gently shaken, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack, and cool completely. Dust the top with powdered sugar. Cut into squares. Transfer the lemon bars to a platter and serve.
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