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Lavender Vanilla Lemon Bars

Tart & gooey lemon bars flavored with a hint of lavender and vanilla bean
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Resting Time8 hours
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 20 bars

Ingredients

For the lavender vanilla sugar:

  • 3 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon culinary lavender
  • 1 vanilla bean

For the shortbread crust:

  • 8 ounces butter unsalted, melted
  • 1/2 cup lavender vanilla sugar from recipe above
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour

For the lemon bar filling:

  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from about 5 lemons
  • 2 3/4 cups lavender vanilla sugar from recipe above
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup all purpose flour

Instructions

For the lavender vanilla sugar:

  • Add granulated sugar and lavender to a food processor. Split vanilla bean down the center, lengthwise, and scrape out the bean specks. Place them in the food processor with the sugar and the lavender for 30 seconds. Set aside. 

For the shortbread crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13x9 pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Set aside. 
  • In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, lavender vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until completely combined. 
  • Pour mixture into prepare baking pan and spread as far as you can with spatula. Using your hands, finish pushing mixture to the edges of the pan so that mixture evenly coats the bottom of the pan. 
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until top begins to brown. Don't let it get too brown or the crust will be too crispy. While the crust bakes, make the filling so that it's prepared when the crust is done. 

For the lemon bar filling:

  • Add eggs and lavender vanilla sugar to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Add lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk together. Sift the flour on top of the mixture and whisk together, trying to remove most lumps. It's okay if some lumps still remain. 
  • When crust is done, open oven and slide rack with crust out of the oven about halfyway. Very very gently, pour filling into the pan with the hot crust. Push rack back into oven and close oven to bake for 25-30 more minutes. The bars are done when the center barely jiggles when shaken. 
  • Remove pan from oven to cool to room temperature. For a perfectly clean cut, refrigerate bars overnight before cutting. 

Notes

Recipe adapted from Sugar Hero