Kuchnia

Blueberry Lemon Squares

Crust ingredients
1/2 cup of sweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
1 Tablespoon of firmly packed brown sugar (dark or light)
5 Tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter

method
Preheat the oven to 300F. Line the bottom of an 8x8-inch pan with foil and spray the bottom and sides of foil. Set aside.

Pulse the graham cracker crumbs a few times in the food processor until they are fine.

In a medium bowl, Mix together the coconut, graham cracker crumbs, and brown sugar. Add the melted butter, and using your hands, firmly press the crust into the prepared pan. Lightly flour your fingertips if the crust is too sticky.

Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, and then bake it for 5 minutes. Cool the crust before adding the filling.

Increase the oven temperature to 350F.

Lemon curd ingredients
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 to 6 lemons)
4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 Tablespoons of heavy cream (half & half will work too)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup of fresh blueberries (washed and dried)

method
In a medium saucepan, heat the lemon juice, butter, and cream to just under a boil; the butter should be melted. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together by hand the sugar, eggs, and yolks until combined. Whisk in a bit of the hot liquid and then gradually whisk in a bit more until it's all added. This technique, called tempering, heats the eggs slowly and gently so they don't curdle.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to keep the eggs from scrambling. Cook until the lemon curd coats the spoon thickly enough to leave a line when you draw your finger through, 5 to 8 min. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the salt and vanilla.

Pour the curd over the semi-baked crust and smooth it evenly with a spatula, if needed. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the curd.

Bake until the curd has set and jiggles like firm jello, 15 to 20 min. Let cool to room temperature. Gently tug on the foil on all sides to loosen the bars from the pan. Lift them out and onto a cutting board and refrigerate until the curd has completely set, at least 5 hours.

Makes about 12-16 bars.