The fourth day of Christmas Cookies brings us the perfect mixture of sour and sweet, Luscious Lemon Bars.  The sour tangy flavor of fresh lemon paired with the sweet cookie crust, and melt-in-your-mouth powdered sugar topping, combine for the perfect citrus taste explosion.  The gooey lemon custard on these bars is irresistible!

Who doesn’t like lemons?  Their bright sunny yellow color, and fresh clean scent remind us of summertime.  Memories of sitting in the sunshine with a cold glass of lemonade, watching the puffy clouds float across the sky, tickle our minds.  With the cold breath of winter breathing down on us, these lemon bars bring back a little bit of summer.  Not only are these lemon bars beautiful to look at, they taste amazing, and make a wonderful presentation and/or gift for someone you love.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS (GLUTEN FREE)

CRUST

• 3/4 Cup Butter, softened (I prefer salted butter)
• 1 1/2 Cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour with Xanthan Gum (or 1 1/2 Cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour without Xanthan Gum plus 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum)
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/3 Cup Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the butter and sugar together, and add the all purpose gluten free flour and coconut flour, combining well to make a soft dough*.  Press the dough into the bottom of a 13 X 9 inch pan that has been lightly sprayed very lightly with cooking spray. 

*If the dough seems very soft you can put it into the refrigerator for a few minutes before pressing it into the pan.

Bake the crust for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until it is just turning brown.  Remove crust from oven, and set aside.  While crust is baking, prepare the topping.

TOPPING

• 4 Large Eggs
• 2 Cups of Sugar (white)
• 5 Tablespoons of Gluten Free All Purpose Flour with Xanthan Gum (if the flour mix does not contain Xanthan gum, use 1/2 teaspoon in addition to the gluten free all purpose flour)
• 3/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• Zest From 1 Lemon
• Powdered Sugar (sifted) for dusting

Zest the peel from one fresh lemon with a zester or a very fine grater using only the yellow part of the peel, and avoiding the white underneath.  Set aside.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with a whisk or a fork until well beaten.  Add lemon zest and stir. 

In a separate bowl, mix the gluten free all purpose flour (and Xanthan gum if using) into the 2 cups of sugar. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the egg/zest mixture, until everything is fully incorporated, and uniformly mixed.  Gently stir in the Lemon juice until thoroughly mixed.

Pour lemon filling over hot crust, and place back in the oven for 22 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is firm to the touch. 

Cool completely to room temperature and sift powdered sugar over the top of the lemon bars before cutting. 

Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature, or refrigerate. 

Makes:  one 13″ X 9″ Pan

It will be hard to keep the hands away from these delicious cookies!  I can’t really tell you how long they keep, because, at least in my house, they are gone within 48 hours of coming out of the oven. 

Bring a little bit of sunshine to your winter table with these bright lemon bars.  For those of us stuck in the ‘Winter Wonderland’ of North America, they are a hint of summer that will be with us again one day.

Happy Holidays!

Marcie/Pepperchick