Serves 16 2 Better Balance Bites/Blue Points
Calories 64 Fat 2.7g Sat. Fat 0.8g Protein 1.9g Carbs 21.3g Fiber 0.4g Sugars 1.7g
Ingredients
Crust
· 24 tea biscuits, crushed (see notes)
· 2 Tbsp sugar replacement
· 2 Tbsp light butter, melted
· 1 Tbsp lemon juice
· Pinch of salt
Filling
· 3 large eggs, room temperature
· 3/4 cup sugar replacement
· 1/2 cup lemon juice (see notes)
· 1/4 cup flour
Topping
· 2 tsp powdered sugar replacement, optional (see notes)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil; set aside.
2. Add all the crust ingredients to a medium bowl and mix together until well combined. Transfer it to the prepared pan and, using a silicone spatula, a measuring cup, or your hands, press down until smooth, making sure to get it into the corners. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it gets lightly golden and fairly firm in the center.
3. While the crust bakes, work on the filling. Whisk the eggs in the same bowl you mixed the crust in. (NO need to clean it out!) Once the eggs are broken up well, whisk in the sugar replacement and lemon juice. Once that comes together, whisk as you add in the flour to avoid clumps.
4. Once it’s smooth, pour the lemon filling over the hot crust. Place the pan back into the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the filling remains firm once lightly shaken.
5. Remove the lemon bars from the oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, refrigerate the bars to firm up before slicing into bars. Sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar, if using.
Notes
· Replace the tea biscuits with other crisp vanilla cookies or even pizzelles. I don’t recommend graham crackers because their flavor overrides the lemon.
· Use fresh or bottled juice. If using fresh and you want a bit more lemon flavor, zest half of a lemon into the crust and half into the filling.
· Powdered sugar is optional and will likely melt into the bars if put on too far in advance.
· You can use real powdered sugar also because 2 tsp will not affect the bites/points.
· Store in the refrigerator, covered, up to 1 week. Or freeze by placing bars in an airtight container in the freezer up to 6 months.
· To prevent any possible cracks in the lemon filling, place a pan of hot water on the rack below the one the lemon bars will bake on, but only AFTER you bake the crust!
