Lemon Champagne Bars With Strawberry Brulee Topping

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 fresh lemons, zest of
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam (optional)
• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup champagne or 1/2 cup brut sparkling wine
• 3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup sugar

Recipe

• 1 to make the crust, preheat the oven to 375°f coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• 2 using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl about 3 minutes, until creamy.
• 3 add the flour, salt and zest. beat just until incorporated.
• 4 press the dough evenly into prepared pan. bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
• 5 let cool about 10 minutes. spread the jam evenly over the cooled crust.
• 6 leave oven at 350°f.
• 7 whisk the egg yolks for the filling with the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and champagne in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl).
• 8 cook about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens. cut the cold butter into bite sized pieces.
• 9 whisk the butter, one piece at a time into the lemon mixture. cook about 10 minutes longer, whisking occasionally. the mixture will be thick and puddinglike.
• 10 pour the fillng over the prepared crust and bake for 10-12 minutes. refrigerate the bars at least 2 hours over overnight. (if you are in a hurry they will get sufficiently cold after 1 hour in the freezer).
• 11 slice the strawberries thinly and arrange them in a single layer over the top of the lemon filling. sprinkle the sugar evenly over top of the berries.
• 12 use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until it is brown and crackly, or put the bars under a hot broiler for about 1 minute, until the sugar melts and browns. watch carefully.