Lemon Bars
My favourite dessert is lemon tart.
And I have to say that I make a pretty awesome one.
I put loads of lemon zest in it, so it is super tangy. The kind that makes your face pucker up!!
But, obviously, it’s not healthy. It’s what I call an occasional food. And as I’m getting older, those occasions are getting a lot less frequent!
Recently I came across these lemon bars in my lovely book “The Joy of Vegan Baking”
I got so excited as they reminded me of lemon tart
I definitely had to give them a go!
Of course, I couldn’t help myself and didn’t follow the recipe, but used it more as a guide.
I made a healthier base, then doubled some parts of the filling, but used A LOT less sugar.
I love any recipe that’s quick and easy to make – and these definitely are
And due to using less sugar and LOTS of zest, they turned out super tangy
In fact, they’re pretty much guaranteed to make your face pucker when you eat them!
Most importantly though, they’re oh so scrumptiously delicious!
- For the base:
- ¾ cup ground cashews or almonds
- ¾ cup desiccated coconut
- 4 medium Medjool dates, pitted
- For the filling:
- 300 grams silken tofu
- ½ cup raw sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅔ cup lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons cornflour
- Heat oven to 170 degrees and line a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
- Start by making the base.
- Place ground nuts, coconut and pitted dates in the bowl of a food processor and puree until it comes together (50 seconds, speed 5 in the thermomix).
- Press evenly into the base of the prepared tin and set aside.
- Put tofu, sugar, zest and lemon juice into the food processor bowl and puree until well combined (approx 30 seconds, speed 5 in the thermomix)
- Add cornflour and blend again until smooth.
- Pour onto the nutty coconut base.
- Bake for 30 minutes
This may work with just 3 tablespoons of cornflour, depending on how firm your tofu is.
If you prefer your lemon bars to be a bit yellower, try adding a pinch of turmeric powder!
What’s the deal about soy?
I get asked all the time about soy and if it is safe to consume.
Yes! It is.
However I prefer to use products made from whole soy beans, not heavily processed forms of soy.
In fact, tofu, soymilk, tempeh and edamame are not only safe to eat, but actually beneficial for your health.
Despite all the scare-mongering you get on the internet, soy in your diet may reduce your risk of a heart attack and type 2 diabetes, protect against some cancers (including breast and prostate cancers) as well as osteoporosis and ease the symptoms of menopause.
Click here for Sanitarium’s website for more info on soy