Strawberry Lemonade Squares

These squares remind me of strawberry lemonade. The sweetness of the strawberries plays nicely against the tartness of the lemon, all atop a tender shortbread crust. Not to mention the stark and stunning contrast of bright pink strawberry against vibrant yellow filling.

I brought them to an end of summer barbecue/potluck where they were well received. I don't know many people who don't like the fresh, perky flavor of lemon, so I find lemon desserts a sure-thing for potlucks, especially summer-themed ones. For the prettiest presentation be sure not to sift the powdered sugar on too early - do it just before serving - or else it gets absorbed and disappears into the squares.

Please check out my new group - the Copycat Club. Please join the fun in cooking up some copycat recipes to share in the monthly round-up here. Email me at starrysugar@hotmail.com. The first round-up will be on October 7th, so email me your links if you'd like to be included :)

Strawberry Lemonade Squares
8" square pan | adapted from Jill Snider

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed

Filling:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pureed strawberries (approx 4-5 strawberries)

powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper.
2. Crust: Combine flour and sugar. Cut butter into flour until resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven until lightly browned around the edges, 12-15 minutes.
3. Filling: Whisk together all the filling ingredients except the strawberries. Don't overbeat. Pour over hot, baked crust. Spoon drops of strawberry puree on top of the lemon mixture. Return to oven and bake until just set, 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Store in freezer. Sift powdered sugar over squares just before serving.