Lemon and Toasted Almond Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 4 oz Butter unsalted
- 3 oz Soft brown sugar
- 6 oz All-purpose flour
- 2 oz Almonds – ground
- 1 tbsp Whole milk
For the topping
- 3 ea Zest of a lemon
- 1 cup Lemon juice
- 5 ea Egg – large
- 8 oz Sugar Superfine
- 2 1/2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tbsp Almonds flaked and toasted
- Icing sugar to dust
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF and line a 9" square loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. You can also use a 6" x 12" glass baking dish of similar size
- Place the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat using the whisk attachment on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, ground almonds and milk.
- Switch to the paddle mixer and bring the mixture together at slow speed to form a dough.
- Scrape the dough into the baking dish and, using your fingers, spread the shortbread dough over the bottom of the tin, pushing it into the corners. Bake for 35 mins until nice and golden.
- Meanwhile, to make the lemon topping, whisk the lemon juice and eggs together in a jug. In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour and lemon zest. Strain the lemon mixture through a sieve onto the sugar mixture and whisk well together.
- When the tin is cool enough to handle, if using the loose bottom tin, wrap the outside tightly in foil – this will prevent the lemon mixture seeping out. Pour over the shortbread and return to the oven for 15 mins. If using a baking dish, simply pour the mixture over the shortbread and bake for a further 15 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds over the top and bake for another 5 mins until the topping is set.
- Cool completely in the tin, then lift out, dust with icing sugar and cut into bars. These Lemon shortbread bars keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.