Lemon bars with macadamia nuts

Sweet & tart fruit bars with a nutty cookie crust

I get all swoon-y for a good lemon bar, and my cousin Kelly makes some super delicious ones. They're a popular request at Lawler family gatherings, especially from my own dessert-loving mom. So I decided it was time to finally tackle Kelly's recipe myself. Oh baby.

Before she sent the recipe my way, I had no idea there were macadamia nuts involved. They're in the crust and sprinkled on top of the lemon filling. If nutty desserts are your thing, commit to the uneven texture and chop the macadamia nuts roughly. If you prefer a smoother lemon bar, I would grind the nuts pretty finely in a food processor for the crust and possibly skip the nut topping altogether.

- - - - - - - 

LEMON BARS WITH MACADAMIA NUTS

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
CRUST
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or pulse 'em in a food processor)

LEMON FILLING
1 cup sugar
2 TBS flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temp
1 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
2 TBS chopped macadamia nuts (optional)
powdered sugar, for serving

WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, powdered sugar, and butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts.

2. Press crust mixture into the bottom and a bit up the sides of an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. *Note: I only had a 9-inch baking pan and it worked fine; the crust just didn't go up the sides much.

3. For the filling: Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. 

4. Pour filling over baked crust and sprinkle with nuts (optional). Bake 10–15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely, cut into bars, and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve. 

- - - - - - - 

We were really eager to eat these, so I didn't let the bars cool completely out of the oven. As it was just my family we didn't mind, but for a party, I would definitely adhere to the cooling rule. They were kind of a mess coming out of the pan. Ideally, make the bars the day before. These tasted great and the texture was still perfect even a few days later, so you can't go wrong!