Third Place, Boozy
2017 Dallas Morning News Central Market Holiday Cookie Contest
Whole Lemon Bars with Thyme Shortbread Crust and Limoncello Crème
Merritt Quigley, Dallas
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Lemon Filling (recipe follows)
Lemon Crème (recipe follows)
Raspberries for decoration (optional)
Place rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Lightly butter or spray the parchment paper.
Blend the flour, sugar, salt and thyme together in the work bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is powdery, but, if pinched, will hold together. Turn the dough into the prepared baking pan and press evenly across the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. If any parts of the crust bubble up, gently prick them again with the fork.
When crust is baked, pour the Lemon Filling over the crust and bake for 35 minutes, or until the filling is set (slightly jiggly and golden on the top). Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack or in the fridge. Once the bars are completely cool to the touch, gently cut around the outside of the parchment paper to make sure that no sides have stuck, then use the parchment to lift the bars onto a cutting board and slice into 12 squares. Spread a heaping tablespoon of the crème evenly over the top of the squares.
Makes 1 dozen.
Lemon Filling: Cut a medium, thin-skinned lemon into thin rings, no larger than 1/4-inch wide, discarding any seeds. Process the lemon slices in a food processor with 1 1/4 cups sugar until thoroughly pureed (approximately 2 minutes). Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 4 large eggs, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon limoncello liqueur. Pulse the food processor in short bursts until the mixture is evenly combined.
Limoncello Crème: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium speed, beat 8 ounces softened mascarpone, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup prepared lemon curd and 2 tablespoons limoncello liqueur until smooth.
Makes 1 dozen.
PER SERVING: 464 calories, 30 g fat (18 g sat fat), 148 mg cholesterol, 189 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrates, no fiber, 32 g sugar, 6 g protein