Vegan Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar + more for garnish
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup vegan margarine
Lemon Filling
- 1⅓ cups water
- 3 Tablespoons agar flakes or 1 Tablespoon agar powder
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- Pinch dried turmeric
- ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9"×13" baking pan with some of the margarine.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch. Grate in margarine and crumble until the mixture is evenly coarse.
- Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly into an even layer. Refrigerate for half hour.
- Preheat oven to 350º degrees. Remove crust from the fridge and bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is firm and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Lemon Filling: In a saucepan, soak the agar flakes in the water for 15 minutes (Note: if using agar powder, you can skip this step).
- Bring the agar and water mixture to a low boil. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the agar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat and stir in sugar and turmeric. Cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl mix arrowroot with lemon juice, lemon zest and milk. Add to the agar mixture and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not boil.
- Pour lemon mixture into the finished crust. Let cool for 20 minutes at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set. Lemon filling should be firm and cool.
- Use a sifter or a fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar. Slice in squares and serve.