Strawberry Lemon Bars

Yeah, so I'm a little crazy. For my other blog, which focuses on books, I've signed up for a 24 Hour Read-a-thon - one whole day of nothing but reading and blogging about reading. So naturally, I took another whole day to get ready, including cooking lots of things so I can be well-fed (and well-caffeinated).

I read about these Strawberry Lemonade bars a while ago on Baking Bites, and I had been waiting for strawberry to really hit before giving them a go. And luckily, strawberry season and my reading marathon fell at exactly the same time.

With their sweet berry taste and lemony zing, these babies are sure to keep me going.

Strawberry Lemon Bars (adapted from Baking Bites)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

1 pint strawberries, leaves removed
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 large lemon
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, cream together 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Add flour and salt slowly; mixture will be crumbly. Pour into pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 18 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden.

In a food processor, puree the strawberries. Reserve 1/2 cup of the puree, then press the rest of the puree through a fine sieve, which should produce about 1/4 cup of juice; discard pulp and save the juice. In the food processor (no need to wash it out), combine strawberry puree, strawberry juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs, and process until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse until combined.

Pour the filling over the crust and return to the oven for an additional 25 minutes (or longer if the filling has not set). Cool completely before cutting, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Can be served at room temperature or cooled in the fridge.