Coconut Lemon Bars

A perfect combination of tart and sweet, these buttery dessert bars are bursting with coconut and lemon.

Today is Day 8 in my series of cookie and candy recipes leading up to Christmas! Over the past week I’ve posted several recipes containing chocolate, and today I want to share a little something for people who may lean toward desserts of a more fruit-like nature. Gingerbread, chocolates, and sugar cookies tend to be the popular staples around Christmas (at least where I live), and I wanted to post something different. There’s nothing wrong with making a “nontraditional” dessert!

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I’m actually kind of excited about sharing these bars, because I love coconut and lemon, but rarely make such desserts. I know very few people besides me who like coconut and lemon, and I would feel a little strange making a whole pan of bars just for me!

When I tested the recipe the other day, I ate a couple of them and had a hard time resisting the rest. Instead of placing myself in danger of eating all the coconut and lemon, I packed some of the bars in a tin and took them to a friend who likes coconut and lemon too. 🙂

Yum… A buttery crust is topped with a sweet and tart filling!

I used a cookie cutter to cut my dessert into little shapes, but you can just cut them into squares if you like.

Coconut Lemon Bars

Servings: 24 bars
Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

2 cups refined sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
5 eggs
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, beat flours, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla until a crumbly mixture forms. Press onto bottom of prepared baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes or until turning golden.

Meanwhile, in same bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add eggs, lemon rind, lemon juice, and melted butter. Beat until well blended. Stir in coconut. Pour over baked crust and bake for 20-25 more minutes or until edges are turning golden and center is set.

Let cool completely and cut into bars.

http://www.kinthekitchen.com

Note: Adapted from Southern Living’s “Lemon Hearts” in their cookbook, Incredible Cookies.

~K in the Kitchen