Kathie Oh's Recipe

Nutty Lemon Bars

Category: desserts

Crust
1 cup Chopped Walnuts
I cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
Lemon Filling
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sliced walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts for both crust and filling on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. Coat an 9- by 13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray; set aside.

To prepare the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, grind 1 cup of the toasted nuts until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low speed to combine. Add the flour and ground nuts and beat on low speed just until combined. Press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan, (to prevent sticking, dip your fingers into flour before handling dough). Bake until crust is lightly browned at the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

To prepare the lemon filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs just until smooth. Add the sugar and lemon zest and whisk lightly to combine. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining 1 cup toasted walnuts. Pour filling over the still-warm crust, spreading to the corners with a spatula.

Bake in 350 degree oven until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 2- by 2 1/2 inch squares. Dust lightly with powdered sugar. Bars can be stored airtight at room temperature up to 5 days.