I love this recipe, which came to me not electronically, but typed up on an old-fashioned typewriter with a hand-written letter from Loretta Luz of Santa Rosa. These have a wonderful shortbread-type crust, a layer of rich nuts and sugar and finally the tart lemon topping. Says Loretta, “This is not your traditional holiday cookie, but it is one of my favorites. It dates back to the early 1960s. Who can resist the rich flavor of butter, and the tang of lemon and coconut?”
Who, indeed?
Lemon Dream Bars
Loretta Luz, Santa Rosa
Crust
Cut 1/3 cup cold butter into 1 cup flour and 2 tablespoons sugar until fine. (You can do this in a food processor). Press very firmly into an ungreased 8×8 inch (9×9 is fine, too) pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until set but not brown.
Combine in mixing bowl:
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shredded coconut (sweetened is fine)
1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, or perhaps macadamias)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix well, spread on partially baked dough. Bake at 350 degrees for another 25 to 30 minutes.
While baking, combine:
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 T lemon juice
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
Mix until smooth
Spread immediately on bars when they come out of the oven. Cool completely before cutting.
