Description
Tangy lemon curd on a buttery shortbread crust, balanced with precise baking. French-American classic with a gluten-free option and modern kitchen science for perfect texture.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar (crust)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (filling)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup flour (filling)
2 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper overhanging all sides
Chill butter in freezer 5 minutes before grating
Grate frozen butter directly into flour mixture using box grater
Add sugar and vanilla, mix until resembling coarse crumbs
Press mixture evenly into prepared pan, firm with rolling pin
Zest 2 lemons using microplane for maximum fragrance
Blend zest with juice from 2 lemons and sugars until smooth
Whisk in eggs, buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, and vanilla
Pour filling over chilled crust
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25 minutes until golden and set
Notes
Gluten-free option: Use certified gluten-free flour
Chilling crust prevents cracking
Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days
Avoid alcohol-based extracts
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg