Strawberry Lemon Shortbread Bars

Ingredients

• 2½ cups shortbread cookie crumbs*
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ½ stick diced very soft butter (not melted)
• Zest from 6 small lemons**
• 1 cup strained fresh juice
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 2½ cups white granulated sugar
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries

*Use a food processor to crush the cookies or put the cookies in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

**To juice lemons more easily, roll-press the lemons first.

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and bring all ingredients to room temperature before preparing.
2. Combine cookie crumbs & powdered sugar.
3. Add softened butter and 2 tablespoons of the lemon zest.
4. Evenly palm-press crumbs into the bottom of a 9x13-inch Teflon™ nonstick coated pan.
5. Bake 6-8 minutes until just set and barely brown; cool on wire rack.
6. Beat eggs and add the 1 cup lemon juice and remaining zest.
7. Whisk in sugar, then flour, and mix until smooth; pour onto cooled crust. Sprinkle sliced berries evenly on top.
8. Bake 30 minutes or until the middle sets.
9. Cool completely on a rack and then in the fridge before cutting into bars and serving.