in the midst of this cold winter, i've started to reminisce about summer days, bathing suits and breezy seaside swims. martin parr's "life's a beach" is an ode to the stellar absurdities and local quirks of beach culture around the world. a renowned satirist of contemporary life, parr's obsession and decades of commitment to life under the sun prevail on these cold days. with parr's "life's a beach" in hand i present to you a recipe that will bring you back to those summer days and give you the high you need to get through this winter (!) raspberry-lemon bars!
- prep time: 20-30 min.
- cook time: 60 min.
- total time: 1 hour and 30 min.
ingredients:
for the crust:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
for the filling:
- 1 and 1/2 cups of raspberries
- 1 cup of sugar (your choice of sweetener)
- 2 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1.5 lemons)
- 1 tablespoons lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
directions:
for the crust:
- preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- line a 8×8″ square baking pan with a strip of parchment paper that covers the bottom and overlaps on either side (this is so after it cools, you can pull out the entire pan of lime bars and cut them neatly).
- cream butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer. mix in flour until just incorporated.
- flour hands and press dough into 8×8″ square baking pan, so that it comes up about a 1/2 inch around the sides.
- bake for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown.
- while it cools, prepare the filling.
for the filling:
- whisk sugar, egg whites, egg, lemon juice and zest, flour, and salt in a large bowl.
- pour raspberries into a sieve and press
- whisk into lemon mixture and pour into crust
- bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is completely set.
- let the dessert cool completely
- place in the fridge to chill.
- when chilled, use the overlapping edges of parchment paper to gently lift the dessert from the pan.
- cut into desired shapes/bars.