Raspberry Lemon Bars

Lemon bars have always been a favorite treat of mine.  I mean, it's lemon!  What's not to love?  That shortbread crust, that tangy lemon center, and the slightly crisp top dusted with powdered sugar...mmmm....Yeah...!

But have you ever wondered what might happen when you combine another fruit into your lemon bars?  The answer is...bliss!  I personally love these bars.  Bruce isn't big on raspberries, and the most recent time I made these I also made them more tart, so it was a double "no" from his corner, but I find them to be delightful and a fun way to mix up my love of all things lemon.

I use frozen raspberries that I thaw in a fine strainer over a bowl to collect the juice.  Then I mash the berries with a rubber spatula and squeeze as much juice from them as possible, allowing the strainer to keep the seeds out of my final product.  You end up with quite a bit of pulp and seeds left over, but you can stir that into some yogurt or cottage cheese if you don't want to waste it.

If you love (or like...or even just tolerate) raspberries and lemon, you should stop whatever you are doing and make these bars!  Let them cool overnight and they are even better!

Raspberry Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

9 Tbs butter (softened)
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt

Filling:

12 oz. frozen raspberries (thawed; save the juice)
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. lemon juice
1 Tbs lemon zest
3 egg whites + 1 whole egg
2/3 c. flour
dash salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Mix the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until fluffy.  Add the flour, vanilla and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, strain your raspberries with a fine strainer to prevent any seeds from getting into your juice.  Use a rubber spatula to press as much juice and pulp out as possible.  Combine the raspberry juice with the sugar, lemon juice, zest, eggs and salt until thoroughly mixed.  Add the flour and mix well.

Once the crust is done baking, pour the filling into the crust and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until the filling is completely set.

Allow the bars to cool completely before serving.  It is best if they can be refrigerated before serving.

Enjoy!