Lemon Lilikoi Bars

Three words I never thought I’d say:

I’m chocolated out.

Shocking, I know. But don’t worry, I haven’t lost my sweet tooth completely. Last week I shared a lime pie recipe with you, and this week I’m going citrus again. But with a tropical twist.

One of my favorite treats is a take on the traditional lemon bar – but with Lilikoi (passion fruit) mixed in.

You can take the girl out of Hawaii but you can’t take Hawaii out of the girl.

It’s practically impossible to find passion fruits in Oregon, but I have found passion fruit juice in our local Asian food store (imported from Hawaii, of course).

If you have a favorite lemon bar recipe of your own, simply substitute part of the lemon for passion fruit juice (or concentrate). The result is still a tangy treat – but with a sweet kick that blends perfectly with the shortbread crust.

Lemon Lilikoi Bars

Crust Ingredients:
1 stick (8 oz) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp course salt

Filling Ingredients:
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar
2 T grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon/passion fruit juice (I used 3/4 cup passion fruit and 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice)
1 cup powdered sugar for finish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Dough will appear dry and crumbly. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 x 13 baking dish, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill, and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on while making the filling. 

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Adapted from here.