Shaker Lemon Ginger Pie Bars
Shaker pie is full of bright, tangy lemon flavor, and these bars, with their buttery shortbread base, live right up to the legend! A hit of warm ginger brings out the best in this seasonal winter dessert recipe.
It's Friday morning, and here we are at the end of the first full work-week of 2015. How did you make out? I hope you got tons scratched off your list and are now feeling productive, accomplished, satisfied, and ready for a little weekend R&R.
Our December here in PA was relatively mild, but January seems to want to punish us for it by battering us with bone-chilling wind. I have decided that I just won't leave the house until spring. That's doable, right? All I want to do is crank up the oven and nibble on things that are bright and citrus-y and remind me of summer.
These bars will do just that.
I've always been a huge fan of the classic lemon bar, with it's tangy curd topping and buttery shortbread crust, but you guys know I can never leave well enough alone 😉 What makes these special is the "Shaker" element. Have you ever heard of Shaker lemon pie? The Shakers were known for their frugality and so when they made lemon pie, they used the whoooooole lemon. All of it. The peel, the pith, the juice, and the pulp. It's like nose-to-tail lemon eating, if lemons had noses. Or tails. 😛
The result is something so super-lemony, with an almost marmalade-like texture and flavor. You know how marmalade has that slight hint of pleasant bitterness? That's my jam. No pun intended. Ok maybe I kinda intended it a little.
As if these weren't already enough of a flavor bomb, we're amping it up even more by adding three kinds of ginger: ground, fresh, and crystallized (aka: candied). Ever since creating these little gems, I've been itching to combine lemon and ginger again. The tart lemon along with the gentle warmth from the ginger is just the perfect antidote to the biting cold of this time of year! Take that winter!
I used Meyer lemons in my pie bars, so the result was just a little sweeter and milder than regular lemons. Meyer lemons are the love-child of a mandarin orange and a regular lemon. They're in stores now, so grab 'em while you can! If you can't seem to find them, regular lemons should still work just fine 😉
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Ingredients
For the Ginger Shortbread Crust
- 1 ¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger,, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick), cold, cut into small pieces
For the Lemon Ginger Filling
- 2 lemons
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup (31.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- additional lemon slices and powdered sugar,, for garnish
Instructions
To make the Ginger Shortbread Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a 9x9-inch square pan with parchment.
- Place the flour, powdered sugar, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Lightly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, and bake for 15 minutes.
To make the Lemon Ginger Filling:
- Using a mandoline or box grater, slice the lemons paper thin over a colander set into a bowl. Roughly chop the lemon slices and add to the bowl, along with the sugar. Set aside and allow to macerate at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Whisk in the eggs, flour, fresh ginger, ground ginger, and salt, and transfer to a small pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened (should register 170 degrees F on a candy thermometer).
- Stir in the cream and pour the mixture over the partially baked shortbread crust. Top with additional lemon slices, if desired.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until set around the edges but still a little wobbly in the center. Cool completely, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into bars.
These are gorgeous! January has started off bitterly cold here, too, and I love how fresh and bright this lemon is in the midst of all this dreary snow!
Ugh, I know, right??? We need some sunshine in our lives! Thanks so much for reading Ashley, and for the sweet comment 🙂
TGIF for sure! Love these lemon bars and photos!!! 🙂
Thank you so much! Sorry I missed your comment last week and here we are at Friday again! TGIF right back atcha! 😉
These look so beautiful. I love all things lemon.
Aw thank you Chineka! Hope you're having an awesome weekend girl! 😀
I'm so glad it's Friday and that you are sharing these gorgeous lemon bars! They are just what I need to brighten up my day from this bone-chilling cold we've had here too. I love the ginger and that you used Meyer lemons - they sound perfect!
Gosh I just love Meyer lemons! I feel like they come and go so quickly- I just had to snatch up a couple bags and make something special. I'm so glad you liked the post and I hope you're keeping warm Kelly!
I am SO craving one of these lemon and ginger pie bars right now. They look so citrus-y and delicious!
Aw, thanks Thalia! Wish I could share a few with you! xoxo
I am totally not feeling very productive so far in 2015. Not sure but I am hoping to get out of the funk soon. This beautiful lemon ginger pie is going to help with that. It is stunning!
Give it time, my dear! I'm sure it's hard to think about baking when you're on a cleanse, as I know you are right now 😉 You know I get in those funks too and I think you just need to let it ride. It's like a wave and when you're ready you'll come back stronger than ever! Give your mind the rest it needs after a crazy holiday season! January is for re-charging those batteries. xoxo
I was excited when I finally saw Meyer lemons in the store! I'm going to have to snatch some more up to make these bars!
Hooray! I know I get so excited when I see them too- they're so special! Hopefully I can snag a few blood oranges next 😉 Thanks Jessica!
You have me super excited to try these bars. So much lemon goodness! Pinned.
Yay! So happy to have inspired you! Thank you so much for pinning, my dear!
Allie, these bars are gorgeous!!! and just what I need to get out my "freaking-cold" WI winter .. I need these to transport me to summer!!! love!!!
Girl I hope you're keeping warm! If it's this cold in PA I can't even imagine what WI must be like! Bundle up!
Sunshine on a plate! My mouth is literally watering thinking about the bright lemon-y flavor of these bars!
Woo-hoo! I'm so glad you liked the post Annie! Thank you so much for reading and for the awesome feedback. Hope you're having a great weekend, hon!
Oh I so need these little bursts on sunshine in my life right now. So flipping cold here and now snow! I secretly love it and hate it at the same time! These bars are gorgeous and bright and I'm totally in love with them!
Lol I totally feel you girl! I almost wish there was more snow 😛 We just have wind and drear- a coating of snow would certainly brighten things up. But I should probably be careful what I wish for, right??? Hope you're having a great weekend Liz!
These look incredible! I love that you put the lemon slice right in the bar, GENIUS! You never cease to make my mouth water, girl!
Lol thanks and right back atcha! 😉
These are gorgeous! Your nose to tail description made me laugh. I know it's a trend, but I'd much rather eat any sort of citrus "nose to tail" than a pig 🙂 Pinned!
Um, ya, I have to agree with you on that one! Lol! Thanks for pinning, friend!
You certainly have me longing for summer with these bright sunny bars, Allie. Adding ginger and using the whole lemon sounds like a jaw locking, flavor rush. Love it!
Oh yeah! It totally was! That's a great way to describe it- Thanks Jen!
These lemon bars look so refreshing! I've never heard of Shaker Pie before. I bet it's yummy! YAY for Meyer lemons!!
Woot woot! I know, right? I'm always so excited when I see Meyer lemons at my store; they're such a treat!
Okay just double checking the lemons you macerated go into the filing?? No straining?
Yes, that's right. From paragraph 5 of the head notes: "What makes these special is the “Shaker” element. Have you ever heard of Shaker lemon pie? The Shakers were known for their frugality and so when they made lemon pie, they used the whoooooole lemon. All of it. The peel, the pith, the juice, and the pulp. It’s like nose-to-tail lemon eating, if lemons had noses. Or tails."
I love marmalade so I will definitely want to try these out soon! I'm a big fan of lemon bars and the addition of ginger sounds interesting. As soon as I get to the store for Meyer lemons I'm baking these!
Yay! I hope you enjoy Christine! Thanks so much for reading and for your sweet comment 😉