Chocolate, coconut and lemon bars

Preparation Time

30 minutes

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

220g cold unsalted butter
120g (1 2/3 cups) shredded coconut, plus extra, to decorate
200g (1 1/4 cups) icing sugar
50g (1/3 cup) self-raising flour
2 lemons, zested, juiced
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
6 egg whites
4 egg yolks
75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease an 8-hole, 6cm x 9cm mini loaf pan and line bases with baking paper.
Melt 150g butter in a small pan over low heat. Place coconut in a large bowl. Sift over icing sugar, flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir in zest, vanilla, melted butter and egg whites until just combined.
2. Spoon batter into lined pan and bake for 25 minutes or until bars are golden and spring back when lightly pressed. Immediately run a small knife around each bar, then carefully ease them out of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
3. Meanwhile, to make lemon curd, place egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk until combined.
4. Add lemon juice and whisk until incorporated. Fill a saucepan one-third full with water and bring to a simmer over low–medium heat. Place bowl over the pan and whisk continuously for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens to the consistency of double cream. Whisk in 50g finely chopped butter until melted, then chill for 2 hours to firm. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
5. Place chocolate and remaining 20g chopped butter in a small heatproof bowl, then place bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.
6. To assemble, cut coconut bars in half horizontally. Spread with lemon curd, then sandwich bars. Spread chocolate on top and decorate with extra coconut. Chill for 5 minutes to firm chocolate.