Springy Lemon Coconut Bars

This time of year makes me want to book my calendar with weekly Sunday brunches for the ladies. I love to search for spring brunch ideas and bookmark décor and menu ideas. My Pinterest boards are growing. I have several ideas in mind but really need to narrow it down to more reasonable and budget-friendly options. I get too excited sometimes and plan for extravagant décor and menu only to realize the important thing is to make quick and delicious options so that I have more time to hang out and relax with the ladies. A girl can dream though.

It doesn’t take much time, energy or cash to throw together a brunch. For example, I usually have a main dish such as a spinach quiche. I always have fruit in some form. My favorite is to just slice up strawberries and grapes and stir together with whole blueberries. Keep it simple. And I like to have a sweet dessert type dish if my main is savory. So I’ll have coffee cake or mini muffins made up from the day before to save me time the day of. That’s really all there is to it.

For beverages, I like to have lemonade or tea as well as ingredients for mimosas on hand. That way everyone has the option to have plain juice or kick it up with a splash of champagne. I usually have a couple of juices to try out. For Valentine’s brunch, I had blood orange juice and it was a hit over the normal orange juice. Plus it was a festive reddish-orange color.

These bars would make a great sweet addition to any brunch menu or just a sweet gift for a sweet friend. I found a few recipe ideas for lemon bars, lime bars and also ones that included coconut, which I love. It gives the bars a great texture and boost of flavor. Some lemon bars to me are too custard-like which I’m not always in the mood for. This filling sets up just right in my opinion. The coconut is optional if you’re not a fan.

Crust

1 c flour
1/4 c powdered Sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, cold

Filling

3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 – 1 ½ tsp lemon zest
1/2 c sweetened, flaked coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter with a fork or fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press crust mixture evenly into a greased, 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Stir together sugar, flour and baking powder. Add beaten eggs; combine thoroughly. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and coconut. Blend well so all ingredients are incorporated. Pour onto cooled crust.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool. To help set up faster, place in the fridge for 30 minutes or more. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. Store covered in the fridge so they stay firm.