Highlights from last year at home

Adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen 
Makes 16 small squares

Ingredients:
For the almond crust:
Scant less than 1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

For the lemon curd filling:
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (plan on about 2-3 lemons)
Zest from one lemon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
6 egg yolks

Make the crust: Mix the almond meal, melted butter, and sugar together in a small bowl. Pour into an 8-by-8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Use your fingers to press the mixture together to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until just beginning to look golden and dry. Let cool. Turn oven down to 300°F.

Make the filling: In a large heatproof metal or glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Place on top of a pot of simmering water and add the butter a few pieces at a time until melted and combined, stirring frequently. Continue to cook over the simmering water for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and coating the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and strain into a shallow bowl to remove any curdled egg bits and keep the filling smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread the lemon curd filling over the crust and bake at 300°F for 18 to 20 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

*Word of warning – these start to fall apart as they come to room temp so make sure to serve them out of the fridge!