About
It's just the best when the weather starts to warm up and in return, we get to start cooking and baking with all the warm weather produce! We dream of these Lemon Cream Crumble Bars all winter long, so we're very excited to get to taste them again. The way the tart, lemony filling pairs so perfectly with the brown-sugary, oat crust and topping always makes our hearts flutter. Welcome the higher temps with these Lemon Cream Crumble Bars! Ah, it's so good to have them back!
Ingredients
- For the oat crust and topping:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned or quick whole oats
- For the lemon filling:
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- lemons, to taste, sliced and quartered, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch of overhang on two sides.
Step 3 -In a large bowl, add the butter and the brown sugar and beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until they are combined, about 1 minute.
Step 4 -Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
Step 5 -Add the vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
Step 6 -Add the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the oats to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until they are combined.
Step 7 -Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and beat the oat mixture to combine any of the loose ingredients. It will be dry and crumbly.
Step 8 -Lightly press about 1/4 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the remaining oat mixture for the topping.
Step 9 -Bake the crust, about 12 minutes.
Step 10 -While the crust is baking, in a second large bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice and mix to combine. It will be very thick.
Step 11 -Pour and spread the lemon filling over the hot crust and sprinkle with the reserved oat mixture.
Step 12 -Bake the bars until they are set and the edges are lightly browned, about 22-25 minutes.
Step 13 -Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bars cool completely.
Step 14 -Use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan, then cut them into squares.
Step 15 -Serve the bars garnished with the lemon slices.
