In honor of Healthbuzz’s July veganism focus and Tina’s Cookie Friday, I wanted to share a delicious recipe that I’m making for this weekend’s Fourth of July festivities.

Vegan Lemon Bars

Joy of Vegan Baking

Crust Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter, at room temperature (such as Earth Balance)
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup silken tofu (soft or firm)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)
• 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan with canola oil (or use a cooking spray) and sprinkle with just a light dusting of all-purpose flour
3. To make the crust, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the flour, and beat until the dough just comes together
4. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned
5. Remove crust from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling
6. To make the filling, blend the tofu in a food processor or blender until creamy, about 1 minute
7. Add the granulated sugar to the tofu, and blend until nice and smooth
8. Blend in the lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, and cornstarch
9. Pour the filling over the baked shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is set
10. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool – if the filling isn’t completely set, it will set as it cools
11. To serve, cut into squares or bars and dust with the sifted confectioners’ sugar

In case you missed them, here are a few other Cookie Friday recipes I’ve posted:

Whole Wheat Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal White Chocolate Coconut Chewy Cookies