RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Gut-Healthy Lemon Bars

Adjusting diet is a necessity for someone with food allergies, intolerances or a condition like irritable bowel syndrome. Although an individual may understand the need to avoid certain foods, it can be difficult to pass up on foods when so many people around you are enjoying them, especially when they are tasty desserts.

Fortunately for lemon bar lovers, this recipe for Lemon Bars from The Complete IBS Diet Plan (Rockridge Press) by Amanda Foote, RD, offers a sweet and sour offering with delicious shortbread crust that should not cause any digestive distress for IBS sufferers.

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (plus more for greasing pan)

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 Tablespoons very cold coconut oil, cut into pieces

For the filling:

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 Tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour

Grated zest of 2 lemons

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup unsweetened plain rice milk

Pinch sea salt

CRUST DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with butter.

2. In a blender, combine the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt and pulse 10 times in 1-second bursts.

3. Add the butter and coconut oil. Pulse 4 to 5 times more, in 1-second bursts, until the mixture resembles sand.

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press the crust into the bottom and slightly up on the sides.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until just brown.

FILLING DIRECTIONS:

1. While the crust bakes, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, rice milk, and salt. Pour the mixture into the warm crust.

2. Bake for about 20 minutes until the filling is set.

3. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate before cutting into bars and serving.