Whilst the lemons are still fragrant and juicy you need to take advantage of their uplifting and refreshing flavour.  This slice could pass as a dessert but either way it hits the spot!

Makes 24

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:

150g  flour

50g white sugar

3 Tbsp icing sugar, plus more for dusting

1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

¼ tsp fine sea salt

150g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

FOR THE CURD:

4 to 6 lemons

1 ½ cups/300 grams sugar

2 large eggs plus 3 yolks

1 ½ tsp cornflour

Pinch of fine sea salt

60g butter

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

METHOD

Heat oven to 160C degrees and line a 18cm square baking tin with enough baking paper to hang over two of the sides (to be used as handles later to lift the bars out of the pan).

To make the shortbread base, pulse together the flour, sugar, icing sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor, or whisk together in a large bowl. Add butter and pulse (or use your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Press dough into prepared tin and bake until shortbread is pale golden all over, 25 to 30 minutes.

To make the lemon curd, finely grate the zest from the lemons and set aside. Squeeze the lemons so you get ¾  cup juice.

In a small saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, sugar, eggs and yolks, cornflour and fine sea salt over medium heat until boiling and thickened, 2 to 5 minutes. You need to watch it at this stage as it can catch and go lumpy. Make sure mixture comes to a boil and stays there for 30 seconds at this stage you should see it thicken up before you take it off the heat. But once it boils do not cook for longer than 1 minute or you risk the curd thinning out again.

Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in butter, olive oil and lemon zest.

When the base is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully pour the lemon curd onto the shortbread base; return to the oven. Bake until the curd just sets, 5-10 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before cutting into bars.