Lemon Bars

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Whenever I think about my favorite desserts, my mind usually runs to warm chocolate chips cookies, a spoon of a fresh fruit crisp topped with vanilla ice cream or perhaps birthday cake covered in a thick layer of white buttercream icing.

Somehow I forget until I’ve made a fruit curd, how incredibly delicious it can be.

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The brightness of the flavors, the incredible creaminess and the perfect mix of tart and sweet are just delightful.

And when you combine a fabulous homemade lemon curd with a special, buttery crust, you just can’t go wrong. (And it’s great paired with a Foothills Carolina Strawberry Cream Ale.)

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This crust is extra special because it uses almond meal. Tip: If you don’t have almond meal or flour on hand, you can make some by putting almonds in a food processor and mixing until the consistency of flour.

The shortbread is dense and textured, and the lemon curd is perfect…as described above.

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Now I know that buying lemon curd may seem like an easy substitute, but it just isn’t. As long as you’ve got a bag of lemons, a carton of eggs and some sugar, you’ll have something amazing in a short 10 minutes. It’s totally worth it!

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Enjoy the sweet, bright taste of summer with these Lemon Bars with Almond Crust.

P.S. Thanks to the Kitchn for this fabulous recipe.

lemon-bars

 *Click on recipe card to enlarge or right click to save.