Lately I’ve been finding myself with tons of fresh (and local) produce. More than I can possibly eat straight up without getting sick of it. A friend of mine has a lemon tree in her backyard and was nice enough to let me pick a bag of lemons from it. I thought it would be easy to use up a bag of lemons, but, turns out… not so much. I made a batch of classic Double Lemon Bars, and these Strawberry Lemon Bars and I’ve still got more than I know what to do with.

We’ve been buying lots of super ripe strawberries, and I decided I wanted to try the strawberry lemonade flavor combo in a dessert. Nick joined a trap shooting team, so I made these for the guys. They were a huge hit and everyone was asking for them again the next week! Success!

Strawberry Lemon Bars

(adapted from Nook & Pantry)

for the crust:

• 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Pinch salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

for the filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp milk
• Pinch salt

for the strawberry swirl:

• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 2 tbsp sugar

Mix the chopped strawberries with sugar and set aside to macerate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a food processor. Blend the ingredients together for a few seconds to mix evenly. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.

Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment or nonstick foil. Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When you finish making the crust the fruit should almost be done. Blend the strawberries in a food processor or blender, or mash with a fork until there are no large chunks. Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake chilled crust for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

While the crust is baking, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour and salt in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Then whisk in the lemon juice, zest, and milk.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and pour the filling into the crust. Drop spoonfuls of the strawberry mixture on the surface. Use spoon or knife swirl the strawberry puree into the filling.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the filling feels firm when touched lightly.

Cool completely and dust with more powdered sugar before cutting.

Want to try some other lemon bar recipes?

Classic Double Lemon Bars

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars