Lemon Bars with a Rosemary Almond Shortbread Crust and a Swiss Meringue Topping

8” square pan lined with parchment paper

 

Crust:

170 Grams of Unsalted Room Temperature Butter (12 Tablespoons)

40 Grams of Powdered Sugar

2 Teaspoons of Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary or 1 Teaspoon of Finely Chopped Dried Rosemary

2 Teaspoons of Lemon Zest

1/4 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt

2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice

180 Grams of All Purpose Flour 

6 Tablespoons of Almond Flour

2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch

 

In a stand mixer or using a bowl and a hand mixer cream together the butter, powdered sugar, rosemary, lemon zest and salt until light and fluffy on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour and corn starch.

Add the lemon juice and the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Pat the dough out on a piece of parchment into a square about ½” thick.  Cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper and roll to a thickness of ¼” keeping the dough in a square shape.  It should be about an 8” – 9” square. 

Place on a sheet tray and put in the freezer until solid about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 325°

Measure the bottom of your 8” pan.  Depending on the brand you are using the bottom of the pan can measure anywhere from 7 ½” – 8”.  I am using a USA pan and the bottom measures 7 5/8” square.

Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper so that it over hangs 2 sides.

Remove the dough piece from the freezer, peel of the parchment paper top and bottom and cut a square to fit the bottom of the pan.  Place the dough in the pan and dock all over the bottom with a fork.

Bake for 20-22 minutes in the middle of the oven.  It should be a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a metal rack to cool completely.

 

Filling:

2 Whole Large Eggs

3 Egg Yolks

200 Grams of Granulated Sugar (1 Cup)

25 Grams of All-Purpose Flour

150 ml Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon of Lemon Zest

 

Lower the oven temperature to 300°

In a 2 quart saucepan whisk together the sugar and flour.  Next whisk in the eggs and egg yolks.

Place over low heat and gently whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Increase the temperature to medium and using a spatula gently stir the mixture until it begins to thicken ever so slightly, coats a spatula and you are able to draw a line through it with your finger, about 5-7 minutes. (Could be as long as 7-8 minutes depending on your stove top)

Remove from heat and strain onto the top of the cooled crust.

Spread the filling evenly with an offset spatula.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

After the bars have chilled remove them from the pan and slice into bars or squares.

 

Meringue Topping:

2 Egg Whites

75 grams of Granulated Sugar

1/8 Teaspoon of Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar

 

Whisk egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Place the bowl over simmering water and stir using a spatula until the egg-white mixture reaches a temperature of 160°F (71°C) and sugar is dissolved.

Place the bowl on the mixer and whip with the wire whisk attachment on high speed until the mixture is glossy and the bowl is cool to the touch. This will take about 5-6 minutes. You want to end up with medium stiff peaks.

Decorate the squares with the meringue.  You can toast the meringue or leave it plain.

 

Chef’s Tip:

I like to take the scraps of dough from the crust and roll it to 1/8” thick. 

Freeze until firm.

Remove from freezer and cut into decorative shapes using small cookie cutters.

Bake at 325° for about 7-10 minutes or until light golden brown.

Use them to garnish your bars.