It wouldn’t be a spring brunch without lemon bars, bright citrus curd covered with a buttery shortbread crust. We add thyme for a zesty herbal note that pairs beautifully with tart lemon. And the most delicious: a drop of olive oil to give a fruity sourness and a tender crust with the addition of almond flour.
A lot of people are scared of custard, rightfully so, because it can be tricky. We take the hassle out of tempering egg yolks and make all the custard at once. The most important part is always whisking and if you hold the pan you will see how the beautiful custard comes out. Don’t step back even for a minute, or you might run into scrambled eggs.
Recipe from the Test Kitchen tasting table
Lemon Thyme Bars.
Fresh thyme is added to tart lemon curd for these bright and flavorful lemon bars.
Preparing TIME: 15 minutes
Cooking TIME: 45 minutes
SERVINGS
12 bars
Ingredients
For the crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour:::
¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1thyme leaves
teaspoon kosher salt
butter, diced and
unsalted
chilled
teaspoon
1spoons of kosher salt
2 eggs, plus 3 yolks
4 sprigs of thyme
butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted of and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides of the pan. In a food processor, add all of the crust ingredients and beat until a crumbly dough forms. Press the dough into the prepared pan, covering the entire surface. Bake until golden, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the cottage cheese: In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, salt, eggs, and egg yolks until smooth. Add thyme sprigs and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain, then add butter and olive oil until smooth.
Serving:
Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the curd over the cake, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula. Return to oven and bake until done, 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove sticks from pan using parchment paper. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with thyme leaves, then cut into twelve 4½” by 1½” bars and serve.
