@Azzura

For the shortbread. Typically most shortbread will do, this is just the version I ended up using here.

## Ingredients (Shortbread)

- 155g flour (I use a gluten-free blend)
- 30-50g of granulated sugar
- 15-25g of confectioners sugar (should be in a 1:2 ratio with granulated)
- 1.5 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
- 0.25-0.33 tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp butter (142g) or equivalent (should be cold)

## Preparation (Stage 1)

Use a 9x9 pan. I acquired a le crueset stoneware pan in this size years ago and used that for these batches. I do recommend putting some parchment paper down with length on two sides to make for easier removal later. I tend to butter/oil both sides of the paper to get everything sitting nicely.

### Step 1

- Preheat oven to 325.
- (Optional) Mix the zest and sugar in a small bowl and rub the zest into the sugar. This gets the oils everywhere. And I just like the ritualiatic touch
- In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients (including the zested sugar), and blend, then add the butter in small-ish chunks and pulse until the dough starts to stick to itself. If not using a food processor, then cut the butter into the mixed dry ingredients with a fork, or one of those slitted metal things (forget what they are called)

### Step 2

- Pour/GentlyDump the dough into the pan, and mostly flatten it down with hands. This helps add the finishing kneads to it as well.
- (Optional) using a fork or something, score the shortbread dough. In other words, poke a bunch of holes. Some people like to make tidy lines, and others are a bit more chaotic. I'll end up making silly patterns. The holes are so the carbon dioxide can vent, else it will bubble as it bakes and just take a bit longer.

### Step 3

- Put it in the oven to bake until the surface is a pale golden all over. 30-45min
- While that's going, make the lemon curd

## Ingredients (Lemon Curd)

- 4-7 lemons
- 165ish g sugar (sweeter batch was 200g, the base recipe was like 300+)
- 2 eggs + 3 egg yolks (ideally at room temperature)
- 1.5 tsp of cornstarch (can dissolve in ~1 Tbsp lemon juice for slurry)
- 4 Tbsp (57g) of butter (or equivalent) (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup (59.1ml) of fruity olive oil

Note: You'll end up using 0.5-1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest and 3/4cup (~177.44ml) of lemon juice.

(Very Optional) Pre-step: Reduce the lemon juice from whatever excess you want to the target amount.

## Preparation (Stage 2)

### Step 1

- Whisk lemon juice, sugar, egg+extra yolks over medium heat in a saucepan with a big pinch of sea salt. Add the cornstarch slurry.
- Bring to a boil until thick. This is one of those tricky ones. A Goldilocks boil with a low margin of error. It should be boiling across the face of it, and it should not boil for longer than a minute. It should visibly thicken. I tend to be whisking almost continuously until it gets to this point and it doesn't take me very long.

### Step 2

- Once it hits that magic consistency, immediately take it off the heat and strain it into a bowl or large pyrex measuring thing (my strainer fits nicely over my 4 cup measuring thing so that's what I use)
- Whisk butter and olive oil into the strained goop. Add in the zest as well.

### Step 3

- When the shortbread is done, let it sit for maybe a minute or two. Then pour the curd over it, and pop it back into the oven for 10-15 or sometimes 20min until it's just set in the middle. Because of the olive oil it will be more jiggly than most people might expect when set.
- Allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then move into a fridge until cold. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and to preference with confectioners sugar or additional zest for serving.

#Recipe #LemonBars #Baking