Cooking Tips: Allow the lemon bars to cool completely before serving - custard firms up more as it cools.
Crust Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter, at room temperature (I use Earth Balance)
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
Filling Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest (wispy shaved-off skin from lemon) from 2 lemons (learn how to zest a lemon on this youtube video)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (Use real lemons, preferably organic, and if you don't have a lemon juicer borrow or buy one)
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x8-inch baking pan with canola oil and sprinkle with just a light dusting of all-purpose flour.
To make the crust, in the bowl of your electric stand mixer, or with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, and beat until the dough just comes together. Press into the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
To make the filling, in a food processor or blender, add the tofu and blend until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and blend until nice and smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, and cornstarch. Pour the filling over the baked shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
To serve, cut into squares or bars and dust with the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Wait until you’re just about to serve the bars before you sprinkle them with the confectioners’ sugar. Otherwise it will soak into the bars and you’ll miss out on the pretty presentation.
Vegan Baking Demystified from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau on Vimeo.
