Lemon Poppy Seed Bars

🥘 Ingredients

• granulated sugar 0.67 cup
• fine sea salt ¾ tsp
• lemon zest
• unsalted butter 1 cup
• pure vanilla extract 2 tsp
• all-purpose flour 2 ¼ cups
• poppy seeds 2 tbsp
• lemon curd 1 cup

1. 1

   Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line the bottom sides with parchment, leaving 1 inch of overhang all around.
2. 2

   Add granulated sugar , fine sea salt and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix with the paddle attachment until the sugar is moist and fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. 3

   Add the unsalted butter and beat on medium speed until smooth, 1-3 minutes . Beat in the pure vanilla extract .
4. 4

   Turn off the mixer, add all-purpose flour , then mix on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add poppy seeds and continue to mix on low until incorporated but still crumbly, about 1 minute (do not overmix the dough).
5. 5

   Transfer 1 cup of the crumbled dough to a small bowl . Transfer the remaining dough to the prepared pan and flatten into an even layer using the flat bottom of a glass or your hands. Spread the lemon curd in an even layer over the surface of the crust and sprinkle with reserved dough, crumbling into pieces as you sprinkle.
6. 6

   Bake, rotating after 20 minutes , until the crumb topping is golden brown and the curd bubbles at the edges, 40-48 minutes . Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely in the pan, at least 1 ½ hours .
7. 7

   Use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board . Trim parchment off the edges and cut into 16 squares.