Carla Hall's Citrus Bars Recipe

Disclaimer: I make no claim that this recipe is of my own creation. This recipe was found in Redbook magazine and was written by Carla Hall, who is the co-host of The Chew and the author of Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes From Around The World.

Citrus Bars
Active: 15 minutes
Total: 40 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling

Ingredients for the Crust:
- 4 TBSP of Butter (1/2 Stick), melted, plus extra for the pan
- 1 Cup of Crushed Shortbread Cookies
- 1/4 Cup of Sugar
- 1/2 Cup of Flour
- 1/2 TSP of Kosher Salt

Ingredients for the Bars:
- 3 Lemons, 4 Limes, or 1 1/2 Grapefruit
- 1 Cup of Sugar
- 5 Egg Yolks
- 1 1/2 TSP of Flour
- 1 1/2 TSP of Kosher Salt
- 4 TBSP (1/2 stick) of Cold Unsalted Butter

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking tin with butter. Place remaining crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Press crumbs into the pan and back for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Juice your citrus of choice; strain out seeds and pulp to get 1/2 cup of juice. In a medium saucepan, bring the juice and sugar to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is translucent. Remove the simple syrup from heat; let cool for about 5 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, flour, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Ladle 1/4 cup of the simple syrup into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly pour the remaining syrup into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until fully combined. Return the yolk mixture back into the pot and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture bubbles around the edges of the pot and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. remove from head and stir in the butter.

4. Pour the curd into the prepared crust. Bake for 8 minutes, or until curd appears shiny and set. Allow to cook completely; place in fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight. Garnish with candied peel (optional)

This recipe makes 16 bars.