Lemon Coconut Bars

Coconut appears in so many Christmas cookies. Lemon Coconut Bars are perfect in small bites. The tangy lemon juice enhances the flavour of the coconut. Lemons are my go-to in sweet and savoury cooking. It all comes together quite easily for a large pan of YUM!!

My favourite lemons are from the Amalfi region of Italy and this takes me back there. These lemons are very particular in shape; they are long and tapered and are double the size of our North American lemons. What I remember most, is their perfume. One of my favourite appetizers on the Amalfi is the use of the flesh of lemon dressed with a little salt, olive oil and fresh mint. Life is simple when you use lemons. Of course, being half Sicilian, lemons always adorned our table.

I also like these little drop coconut cookies on my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/glazed-fruit-coconut-drops/

Here is a beautiful article about the Amalfi lemon coast https://italialiving.com/articles/travel/savor-the-sweetness-of-the-amalfi-lemon-groves/

Here I am on the Amalfi Coast with the luscious lemons and hot peppers.

One of the many lemon carts on the Amalfi Coast.

Ingredients

Base

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup cold cubed butter
2 large eggs

Topping

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup of cornstarch
2 cups water
the juice of a whole lemon
the zest of 1/2 a lemon
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Process

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9 X 13 pan. I prepare the cookie base. Mix together the flour, both sugars, and baking powder. Stir in your lemon zest.

I placed everything in a food processor and I put in the butter and pulsed until it formed coarse crumbs.

Beat the eggs slightly and add to the food processor until a ball forms.

Press this dough evenly over the baking pan and cook for 12 minutes in the oven. Take it out and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

While it is cooking, take a small saucepan. In the pan place the cornstarch and the sugar and mix. Continue mixing with a whisk and slowly pour in the water. Place over low heat and stir until it thickens.