This week’s recipe is one that has been requested for a
while. We all need something sweet now and again. I have been looking for Paleo friendly
desserts. The number one approved by
many dessert are these Lemon Bars. I
found this recipe on this blog
I
made very few changes to this recipe. Which is actually amazing, as I normally find something I don't like about a recipe, especially Paleo recipes. I
did add a bit more lemon to the coconut topping. I also learned to pay
attention to the Coconut Milk and make sure you buy full fat version. It won’t cream up otherwise. It is an easy recipe to make a day ahead of
time and bring to a potluck, or party. You
can easily make it nut free as well, but using sunflower butter instead if you
want. Can you imagine a dessert with no
milk, nuts and gluten free? It can happen.
This time of year lots of easy sweet and healthy recipes are
nice to have on hand for BBQ’s or parties or family get togethers. The one thing you will run into is people
being cautious of healthy food. I know
that sounds absolutely crazy, but it is true.
People are scared of something new and something they don’t know
about. It is sad that our culture is so
use to processed, high in sugar and horrible for your health food, that they
are scared of the clean, healthy food. I
am scared to death to eat all the crap that is out there. I said scared to death, because it could
bring on death. Diabetes, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol will have life time effects of your life. It isn’t worth it by any means. Be an advocate for positive eating. Bring a healthy choice to those BBQ’s or
family gatherings this summer. Encourage
and educate others to try them. Baby
steps are better than not steps at all.
Paleo Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup organic coconut sugar
- ¼ cup creamy nut butter or sunflower butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (the original recipe is half a tbsp, I didn't feel like enough
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
For the Filling
- 4 eggs
- 6 Tbsp honey
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 tsp coconut flour
For the Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (make sure to buy the right one, separate and only use the full fat)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (the original recipe says you can use honey too, but the maple gives a wonderful flavor.
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fresh lemon juice*
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In one bowl, whisk the egg, coconut sugar, nut butter (you could use sunflower butter if want a nut free version), lemon juice, zest and vanilla until smooth. Then stir in the coconut flour. Grease the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish to prevent sticking, or line with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides. Spread the crust out evenly on the bottom of the dish and just slightly up the sides. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until just set, then remove.
While the crust bakes, whisk together the tapioca and coconut flour in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the honey and lemon, then slowly add the flour mixture to incorporate until well combined and smooth. Whisk in each of the eggs one by one. I found to mix well so that the egg white doesn't separate after cooking. Pour this mixture over the baked crust, then bake another 20 minutes in the preheated oven until the lemon layer is set and just beginning to turn light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temp before refrigerating to prevent the lemon layer from cracking.
To make the whipped cream layer, in a large bowl, beat the coconut cream (or thick part of separated canned coconut milk) until light and creamy, then beat in the maple syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice. Refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use. Once the lemon bars are totally cooled, spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the bars, then cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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