Healthiest Lemon Squares

annlouise's Note:

Normally my family balks at healthy recipes, but my husband was coming back for more of these, and today finished them off (so much for my evening dessert!). I'm posting this to keep handy for myself.

• Total Time: 53 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 38 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

Base

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup oat bran
• ¼ cup sugar or ¼ cup sucanat
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1⁄3; cup whole almond
• ¼ cup unsalted butter

Topping

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon, rind of
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄8; teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F For base: Chop almonds very fine.
2. Mix dry ingredients, and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Press into 8x8 pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake 18 minutes.
5. NOTE: I might add more butter next time I do this; the base was a bit too crumbly.
6. For topping: Beat all ingredients on high for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
7. Pour over baked base; bake 20 minutes; cool.
8. Dust with powdered sugar.

Reviews

[CrazyKat]

I am reviewing not the whole bar but just the crust, I used Recipe #66424 for the topping which turned out well but wanted a healthier crust so I tried this. The almonds make this crust fantastic! It is the perfect pair with lemon.

[Podkayne]

I also increased the butter to 6 Tablespoons (3/8 cup.) I was a bit concerned, because my lemon topping did not get fluffy. It was basically the texture of orange juice, with a bit of froth. I only have a handheld electric mixer, so maybe it was too wimpy. My bars don't have the thick layer of lemony custard I associate with lemon bars, but they are nice and lemony and nutty and chewey. Next time I might increase amount of the lemon topping.

[Jess Sherle]

I loved these!! i am a pretty big health nut, and these were wonderful as well as nutritious. I did bump up the butter content to 1/3 cup as you suggested, and they turned out great