I really love to bake! I try to be the person who bakes things and delivers them to friends and family, which I do here and there. It is my way of telling them "Thanks for putting up with us!" (Insert laughing face, but seriously though) Now with the being said, there is only so much baking that I can accomplish having 3 small kids. Sometimes the girls will bake with me, my oldest is really good at dumping everything in the mixing bowl and then helping me set it out on trays, my middle is still getting the hang of getting it to the tray and not eating it but its a battle. I don't really blame her, she definitely has a sweet tooth that is for sure!
When lemons are in season, we have this amazing neighbor that supplies the girls and I with a bountiful amount. So, we make a day of juicing the lemons and putting them into containers for the freezer. We end up making lemonade throughout the year, as well as other recipes that call for lemon juice and its all in easy reach.
So onto the recipe, if I do say so myself, this is an amazing Lemon Square recipe. With a lot of Lemon Squares the crust is sometimes heavy, not with this one. It is just the right texture and with the curd on the top it really is just the right combination of lemon flavors.
Knaughty Farms® Lemon Squares
Ingredients
Crust
2 ½ Cups Flour
½ Cup Sugar
¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
¾ Cup Knaughty Farms® Olive Oil
Lemon Curd
4 Eggs
1 ¾ Cups Sugar
7 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cup Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
4 Lemons, Zested
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
Directions:
- Heat Oven to 325 Degrees F.
- Make Crust. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl in a kitchen aid bowl. Add the Knaughty Farms® Olive Oil and Mix again until a lumpy dough forms. There should be no dry spots, but it won’t come together into a single mass- don’t over-mix!
- Dump the crust in a greased 8x8; use your hand to pat it flat in the pan. Use a fork to prick the dough evenly distributed.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until puffed and softly golden-brown.
- Meanwhile, mix the lemon curd. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- When the shortbread timer goes off, re-whisk the lemon mixture if it’s been sitting around. Pull the oven rack out and carefully pour the lemon mixture onto the hot crust. Even more carefully, push the rack back and close the oven.
- Lower the heat to 300 degrees F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the edges of the lemon bar are slightly puffed and the center barely jiggles.
- Cool at room temperature until just warm to the touch- at least 30 minutes. Then cut into 16 squares.
*Pro-tip: Using Parchment Paper to line the pan makes taking it out and cutting it easier.
*Baking times will vary with every oven; make sure you watch the Lemon curd very carefully.
Grab a recipe card, we have them scattered out at different places that sell our oil as well including them with our online orders.Please leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out for you.
Enjoy- Olive Oil Momma