Cookie Bookie

Coconut Lemon Bars

Crust
2 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, cooled
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

Filling

2 ¼   cup sugar
3 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel (from about 5 lemons)
¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from lemons above)
6 large eggs

¼ cup powdered sugar

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Here’s where I toast the coconut, then let it cool and move on to next steps.) Line 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add coconut and butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and begins to clump together. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden at edges about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling:
Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and grated lemon peel in processor; blend 5 seconds. In separate bowl combine lemon juice and eggs (don’t combine until just ready to mix with dry ingredients). Turn processor on and slowly add lemon juice and egg mixture. Process until smooth.

Remove crust from oven. Pour filling evenly over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until filling begins to brown at edges and is just set and springy to touch in center, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool lemon bars completely.

Using parchment paper as aid, transfer lemon bars to work surface. Flatten parchment paper edges. Cut into 32 bars. Sift powdered sugar over the top. (Can be made ahead. Store airtight in single layer in refrigerator. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.)

Makes 32 servings