Raspberry Lemonade Bars

Found these on Pinterest.   They are SOOO Yummy!  What a great recipe for the summer months.  The original recipe can be found on the Improv Kitchen Blog, HERE.  Because baking is not my forte, I followed the directions to the letter.  The original recipe did call for ¾ cup sugar, but it was indicated if you preferred the dessert to be more sweet and less tart – increase the sugar to 1 ½ cups sugar.  I compromised and used 1 cup.  When I make these again, I think I will increase it to 1 ¼ cup – as indicated in the recipe below.

 

Ingredients:

 

For the crust:

9 T. (1 stick + 1 T.) butter

¼ c. sugar

1 c. flour

1 t. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

 

For the filling:

12 oz (heaping 2 c.) frozen raspberries thawed

1 ¼ c. sugar

⅔ c. lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

2 T. lemon zest (3 lemons worth)

3 egg whites

1 egg

⅔ c. flour

pinch of salt

 

Optional:

powdered sugar for dusting on top

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper so you can easily lift the bars out once they've cooled.

 

To make the crust:

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer, then add in vanilla. Add flour until just incorporated. Dump dough in baking pan and press with your hands until it evenly covers the bottom of the dish. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly golden brown.

 

 

To make the filling:

Thaw the raspberries.  (If don’t have enough time for the raspberries to thaw on their own, place in microwave for 1 minute to soften them up.)  Put the raspberries in a fine mesh sieve and press the berries through (this removes the seeds) into a large bowl. If you don't mind seeds, you can add them in whole. Or if you don't have a sieve, you can blend them up in a food processor or blender. Add sugar, egg whites, egg, lemon juice + zest, flour, and salt to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the crust (don't worry, it's a very loose mixture, it will thicken) and bake for 25 - 30 minutes depending on your oven and the sized baking dish you use.

 

Let cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours (or until they've cooled completely). You can place them in the freezer if you need them sooner but refrigerator is best. If you let them cool overnight, they're even better!

 

Click here for printable recipe.