Since we had some gorgeous Meyer lemons on hand, we thought it might be fun to put a fresh, floral twist on the classic… with a little lavender to make our lavender lemon bars! The floral zing of these treats is hard to forget, but make sure that you plan ahead for this recipe ‘cause it needs a day or two to chill out.
They’re definitely worth the wait. Better get started!
2-3 lemons to zest (we used organic Meyer lemons, which are slightly sweeter in flavor)
Directions
Crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and egg. Whisk in cake mix and stir until well blended, then add dried lavender and knead lightly with your hands until fully incorporated.
Place a sheet of parchment in your pan and spread finished dough out as evenly as possible. Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Lemon Curd
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest together in a glass bowl and place over a pot with 2 inches of boiling water in the bottom (double boiler) until smooth.
When mixture is warm, add in butter and whisk gently until fully incorporated. Let mixture simmer for 40 minutes, stirring gently about every 10-15 minutes.
Finished curd will look like a creamy custard. Transfer to a clean bowl and wrap with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic down directly onto the surface of the lemon curd. Refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours, and up to 36 hours (or as long as you can bear to wait).
Spread finished curd over totally cooled crust and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. The more time the bars spend in the fridge, the better they taste!
Recipe Note
Pro tips:
You can flour and butter the pan if you don’t have parchment, but getting these guys out of the pan is 3,000x easier if you use parchment. Trust.
Leaving lemon bars in the fridge as long as you can possibly stand is always best for proper curd setup. It’s hard, but leave ‘em in there!
Not sure where to get lavender? Most specialty tea and herb shops have food grade bulk lavender available.
Leave a comment