Creamy honey lemon lavender bars

Creamy honey lemon lavender bars are a soft yet sturdy lavender shortbread cookie with zesty honey lemon custard that is so simple to whip up. A true ode to spring, and bright and floral way to celebrate the season ahead.

These creamy honey lemon lavender bars bars are slightly floral, buttery, creamy, smooth and tart with the perfect balance of sweetness. Zesty lemon honey custard on a lavender shortbread makes for the perfect spring desert. Welcome warmer and sunshine filled days with a decadent but light sweet, all wrapped up in one perfect square. This recipe is so simple and comes together with ease.

          
 

My muse for Creamy honey lemon lavender shortbread bars:

Our lemon tree was bursting with big, bright, beautiful lemons. I knew I needed to create some lemon recipes, and what could be better than Creamy honey lemon lavender shortbread bars? I know I have a serious obsession, frolicandfare.com already has several other shortbread recipes in different variations.

• Lemon lavender shortbread cookies
• Mini lemon basil tarts with shortbread crust recipe
• Lavender shortbread cookie crust tart with zesty lemon curd
• Orange, thyme + rosemary shortbread cookies recipe

 

I debated creating this recipe as I already have a similar ones. However, instead of making lemon curd, this recipe uses lemon custard which is undeniably simpler to put together and requires less steps. While both are amazing in their own way, this one comes together more quickly and doesn’t require as much attention as the lemon curd tart.

The shortbread crust:

This shortbread cookie crust is my tried and true recipe that you’ll find in so many recipes here on frolicandfare.com. It works like a charm and ends up in sturdy, but soft, which make a perfect tart or pie crust. The creamed lavender lemon butter was good that I almost stopped creating this recipe just to photograph it and create it’s own recipe! It would be perfect on a flaky, buttery croissant.

If you love shortbread as much as we do, I also have a vegan shortbread crust found on vegan millionaires shortbread.

Pin it for later in case you find you ever need it!

The lemon custard:

I read rave reviews about Martha Stewart’s lemon squares, and slightly adapted her lemon custard topping for these bars. This recipe sets beautifully, and is blissful. My only change here was the addition of honey. 

 

Notes:

You’ll have to allow this custard to sit in the fridge and set for at least an hour before digging in. I know, I’m sorry! They’re worth the wait.

Ingredients:

For the honey lemon custard:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 oz) sweet condensed milk
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 3 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons of local raw honey

For the lavender shortbread cookie crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup culinary grade dried lavender buds
• Juice + zest from one lemon

The process:

Yield: 12 bars

Creamy honey lemon lavender shortbread bars

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

These creamy honey lemon lavender bars bars are slightly floral, buttery, creamy, smooth and tart with the perfect balance of sweetness. Zesty lemon custard on a lavender shortbread makes for the perfect spring desert. Welcome warmer and sunshine filled days with a decadent but light sweet, all wrapped up in one perfect square. This recipe is so simple and comes together in 20 minutes.

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Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 oz) sweet condensed milk
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 3 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons of local raw honey
• For the lavender shortbread cookie crust:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup culinary grade dried lavender buds
• Juice + zest from one lemon

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line your tin with parchment paper, leaving enough paper on the sides, so that you can easily lift the tart after it's baked and cooled. I used an 8x8 baking pan.

Shortbread Base:

In a mortar and pestal, add your dried lavender, lemon zest, sugar and lemon juice to your bowl and press together to combine.

Place your dried lavender, lemon zest, sugar and lemon juice you just combined into your butter & salt. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, mix for five minutes or until the butter has taken on a deeper yellow color, that’s a good indicator that your ingredients are creamed.

Add in your vanilla and flour and stir well, eventually using your hands to create a dough.

Press the dough into the parchment paper-lined pan and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes minutes. Your cookie will still be soft and fluffy. It will harden more once removed from oven. While it's in the oven, make your honey lemon custard.


Lemon custard:

In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, condensed milk, honey and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over hot crust in pan; return to oven, and bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Move to refridgerator and let bars set.

Cut and enjoy!

Notes

You must chill these bars prior to serving, and keep refridgerated.

Recommended to serve with Creamy honey lemon lavender shortbread bars

• Lavender iced coffee
• Pink peach basil lemonade
• Rose water matcha tea recipe