lemon ricotta bars

By Jody

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar, organic if you can fine it
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 12 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, preferably organic
• For the filling:
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, store-bought or homemade
• 1 cup sugar (I used organic, fair-trade sugar)
• 4 eggs, preferably organic and free-range (I used eggs from my chickens)
• 3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from about 6 Meyer lemons)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used organic Einkorn flour)
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• confectioner's sugar for dusting the finished bars

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. (You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioners’ sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.) Bake for about 15 minutes until golden, then set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

3. Make the filling: In a blender, combine the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest, and salt. Blend until smooth, then taste to make sure it is sweet enough for you.

4. Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for about 30 minutes longer, until the filling is just set. Allow the bars to cool, then cut into squares and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator.