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Ginger Lemon Bars with Coconut-Flour Crust Gluten-Free Recipe

MAKES 16 (2-INCH) BARS Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though the crust is crispest within the first 2 days.
Author Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:

  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1/3 cup sweet white rice flour
  • 1/4 cup organic granulated cane sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CURD:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger, preferably grated with a microplane (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons firmly packed, finely grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup strained lemon juice, from about 5 large lemons
  • Powdered sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
  2. Make the crust: In a food processor, combine together the three flours, sugar, salt, butter, and vanilla and process until large clumps form, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and pack firmly and evenly with your hands or a flat-bottomed glass, making sure to get the crumbs into the corners. Bake until light golden and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. While hot, use the back of a spoon to firmly press down the crust to help hold it together when the bars are cut.
  3. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Make the curd: Set a mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl and set aside. Place the butter, ginger, and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, whole eggs, and egg yolks to combine. Whisk in the lemon juice. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottoms and corners of the pan while the mixture changes from thick and cloudy to thin and translucent to slightly thick and cloudy and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes. If it starts to curdle or bubble, immediately remove it from the heat and proceed to the next step.
  4. Immediately pour the curd through the prepared strainer. Whisk in the reserved butter, ginger, and lemon zest until combined, then pour the curd over the baked crust.
  5. Bake the bars until the sides are barely puffed and the center wobbles like firm Jell-O when given a gentle shake, 18 to 25 minutes. If wet or watery looking, it is underbaked; if puffed in the center or cracking, it is overbaked. Let cool for 30 minutes, then chill in the pan until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
  6. Grasp the parchment to lift the bars from the pan and onto a cutting board; peel away the sides of the parchment. Use a large knife to trim the edges if you want uniform squares. Cut into 16 squares, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Just before serving, dust the tops with a bit of powdered sugar.