Raspberry Lemon Bars

Shortbread Crust

• 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

Lemon Filling

• 1 3/4  cups granulated sugar

• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 6 large eggs

• 1 oz Raspberry Concentrate (Or other Pure Juice Concentrate)

• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

• optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out. Set aside.

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• 2. Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into the prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). This helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set aside until step 4.

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• 3. Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice and raspberry concentrate until completely combined.

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• 4. Pour filling over a warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and jiggles slightly (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool at room temperature for about an hour, then chill in the refrigerator for another hour. Serve chilled.

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• 5. Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. 

Notes: 

1. Use a glass baking dish instead of metal to avoid a metallic taste due to the high acidity of the lemons. 

2. Raspberry Concentrate can be substituted with any other juice concentrate using a 1:1 ratio.