Litas Easy Lemon Squares With Coconut Shortbread Food

LEMON SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Make Classic Shortbread dough, beating 1 teaspoon lemon zest with the butter. Mix 2 cups confectioners' sugar with the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Spread over the finished shortbread and sprinkle with yellow decorating sugar. Slice into squares.

LEMON COCONUT DROP SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse the coconut shreds in a food processor or chop them up with a sharp knife so they are finer. Smaller pieces make a more desirable texture in the baked cookies. Set aside for next step.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and lemon zest and then beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add the lemon juice, salt, coconut, and flour and beat on medium speed until combined. The dough may not come together at first, but keep mixing until it does. The cookie dough will be thick.
• Cover the cookie dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 3 days. (If chilling for 2+ hours, let the cookie dough sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling into balls. The cookie dough will be very stiff after being in the refrigerator that long.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Roll the cookie dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, and place dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. If the cookie dough is too crumbly, keep rolling and working it with your hands. The warmth of your hands will help bring it together.
• Bake the cookies until lightly browned around the bottom edges, about 14-15 minutes.
• Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack. Make sure cookies are cool to the touch before dipping in icing.
• Whisk all of the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl. If desired, add more confectioners' sugar to thicken or more milk to thin out. Dip cookies in icing or drizzle on top. If desired, garnish with coconut, sprinkles, and/or lemon zest. If coated lightly, the icing will set after 2 hours.
• Cover leftover iced cookies tightly and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Cookies without icing can sit covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

LEMON BARS WITH COCONUT SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 (second-lowest rack).
• Butter an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish.
• To make the crust: combine flour, sugar and salt in a small processor; blend for about 5 seconds.
• Add in flaked coconut and cold butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and clumps together.
• Press the dough over the bottom of prepared pan (do not pack to tightly).
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden around the edges.
• In a medium bowl whisk together all the filling ingredients (except the powdered sugar) until smooth.
• Remove the crust from the oven and pour the filling over the hot crust.
• Return to the oven and bake until the filling begins to brown around the edges, and is JUST set and springy to the touch (around 25-30 minutes).
• Cool the lemon bars completely before slicing.
• Sift with powdered sugar.
• **NOTE** if you want to remove the bars from the baking dish before slicing them, place a piece of buttered foil on the bottom of the dish (leaving an overhang of foil) before patting in the crust mixture. When the bars are COMPLETELY cool, remove them with the foil overhang, my advise would be to place the bars in the fridge before removing them with the foil to avoid breakage of the crust.