Lemon Curd Bars

Lemon Curd Bars

Source: Nancy Garniez, The Food Allergy Kitchen, Yahoo Group

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Cream together:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond flavoring

Stir in 1 egg.

Sift together:
1 1/2 c. flour (I use 1/2 c. lentil, chickpea, or other bean flour for
texture; 1 scant 1/4 c. potato starch, one generous 1/4 c. tapioca
flour; 1/2 c. mixed rice flour, again for texture, and depending on your
preference: I mix white rice, brown rice and rice bran)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Add to the creamed mixture and blend. Spread a scant half of the dough in a
butter shallow pan, roughly 9 in. square or about 6 x 9 oblong. HINT: If
you distribute the dough in the pan by spoonful it is easier to spread it
with a lightly floured palm of the hand.

Cover the dough with lemon curd (sometimes called lemon cheese) or other
slightly tart jam or marmalade--citrus marmalade is delicious). Spoon the
rest of the dough on top and spread evenly.

Bake 25 minutes. (If you turn the oven off and let it cool in the oven it acquires a terrific texture and a look to be envied by any baker.) Cut into bars. Since lemon curd is very eggy it helps bind the dough, thus I prefer it for best results. I find this one of the best cookies so far. I have already had lots of inquiries about lemon curd. I find it in my supermarket, made by Tiptree (an English brand). You can also make it yourself- recipe follows:

In a double boiler top:
1/4 pound butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
Grated rind of 2 lemons
Juice of 3 lemons
6 eggs, slightly beaten

Stir well. Cook over hot water until thick, stirring occasionally. Store in a covered jar in the fridge.