Paleo Lemon Bars

I have been meaning to make these lemon bars for a while now, but I just haven't gotten around to it.  Until today!  We are all about lemony things right now, I guess because the weather is FINALLY summer-like and it just feels like a good time to indulge in lemons!  I found this recipe when searching online, and it seemed like the best one out there.  I halved the original recipe though, partly because they are just for 2 of us, but mostly because I was totally unprepared today and only had 3 eggs in my fridge.  I know, I typically have at least a dozen at all times, but I wasn't planning to go back to the grocery store until tomorrow, and I ran out!  Fail.  Oh well, I made a couple adjustments and made the recipe work for me.  They were pretty easy to make, as long as you have all the ingredients and you don't need to send your husband out for more lemons halfway through because you spill all your lemon juice.  Yeah, that happened.  Anyway... here is what I did:

Paleo Lemon Bars
(makes about 12 small ones)

Crust:

• 1 c raw almonds
• 2 T raw honey
• 1 T coconut flour
• 1/3 c apple sauce (or 1 egg)

Lemon Topping:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c fresh lemon juice
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 c raw honey
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• dash of sea salt
• unsweetened coconut flakes for topping (optional) 

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put almonds in a food processor and pulse until you have small chucks/bits.  In a bowl, mix the almond bits with the honey, coconut flour, and apple sauce.  Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper (I used the kind that has foil on one side to easily press into the dish) and spread your mixture evenly on the bottom of the dish, pressing it down so it is compact.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown.  Put it aside and let it cool.

While the crust is baking, start on the topping.  In a saucepan, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and sea salt over medium heat.  As it starts to heat up, stir in the coconut oil and stir until it is melted.  Continue to whisk the mixture over medium heat until it thickens. Once it starts to look/feel like pudding (nice and thick), remove from heat and let it cool.

Once the crust and topping are both about room temperature, pour the topping over the crust and sprinkle the coconut on top. Place the pan in the freezer to let it set and harden.  This will take about an hour.  Once it has set, take it out, cut into bars, and enjoy!  I took the parchment out of the pan and cut them on a board on the parchment. Store them in the fridge for best keeping.

These are really delicious, and they are definitely very lemony.  The combination of the crunchy crust and the tangy lemon pudding is perfect.  They are a great summertime dessert, and I would recommend them as a clean-eating delicious treat!