Meyer Lemon Macadamia Crumble Squares is a buttery shortbread recipe bursting with the unique floral citrus flavor of Meyer lemons and the crunch of macadamia nuts.
There’s a devastating crime wave playing out on the streets of Los Angeles these days that doesn’t get a lot of press.
I’m talking citrus theft. Everybody’s trees are dripping with ripe citrus fruit right now, and there’s a bitter divide between the haves and the have-nots. My friend woke up last week to the awful realization that, in the dead of night, someone had plucked every last Meyer lemon from her front yard tree. That’s just despicable. And I was just about to ask her to lend me a few, too.
Whats the big deal about Meyer lemons? They have an amazing lemon-tangerine-floral flavor, and they have tons of juice!
They only grow in limited parts of the country, and they don’t travel well because of their delicate skin, so they show up rarely in regular grocery stores. They were brought to California from China in the early 20th century and widely planted, but in the 1940s they fell prey a disease that threatened to wipe out all kinds of citrus. So just about all the Meyer Lemon trees in the US were destroyed. In the 70s, a new virus free variety of Meyer lemon was developed, and the rest is history.
The trees are easy to grow in the right climate, and so lots of people planted them in their backyards and patios. A few daring people even planted them right out in front. Like my poor friend. I have to say though, that’s bordering on entrapment, if you ask me.
But if you can’t find fresh Meyer Lemons you can use regular lemons, or make this with any filling and any nut you want. I was going to use the strawberry rhubarb jam I bought the other day.
Have you tasted Sarabeth’s Jams? I love them and I can never decide which flavor to get— Blood Orange Marmalade, Peach Apricot Preserves, Raspberry Key Lime…
Using a ready made jam would make really quick work of these squares. But you can also make my super quick Microwave Citrus Curd or my Microwave Cranberry Curdfor a really special treat.
These are really really good. The shortbread base is nice and moist and thick, the lemon curd is perfect, thanks to Martha, and the macadamias add crunch and flavor without overpowering the star of the show, the Meyer Lemon. I absolutely loved these, and highly recommend them.
I hope you try these, they are soooo good.
Don’t forget to pin these Meyer Lemon Crumble Squares for later!
Meyer Lemon Macadamia Crumble Squares
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 batch Meyer Lemon Curd or about 9-10 oz store bought curd or jam
- Crumble topping
- reserved 1/3 of the shortbread dough
- 1/2 cup rough chopped macadamias
Meyer lemon curd
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice, about 4 or 5 lemons
- zest of 1 Meyer lemon
- scant 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 stick, 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla and salt.
- Add in the flour and chopped macadamias and mix until the dough comes together. It will be crumbly.
- Pat 2/3 of the dough into a 8x8 or 9x9 square baking dish, and reserve the other 1/3. (You can line the pan with parchment paper with edges overlapping to make it easy to remove, or you can just grease the dish if you don't care about removing the bars from the pan)
- Top with about 9 oz of the Meyer Lemon Curd. Don't spread it to the edge, leave a little space around the perimeter. You will have a little curd leftover, and trust me, you'll thank me for that.
- Crumble the rough chopped nuts with the reserved 1/3 of the shortbread dough. Just make large crumbs with your fingertips. Sprinkle evenly over the top. Don't worry about covering all the lemon.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until slightly golden.
- Cool completely before cutting. ( yeah right 🙂
- To make the Meyer lemon curd: put the yolks, sugar, zest and juice in a saucepan. Whisk everything together.
- Heat on medium, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the curd thickens. It will darken and become glossy and translucent and coat the spatula when it is done. Do not let it boil. This will take about 10 minutes or so, depending on the level of your heat and the size of your pan.
- Take off the heat and add in the butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring until all the butter is incorporated and the curd is smooth.
- Cool and then store in a an airtight jar in the fridge. It will thicken further as it cools.
Make it your own ~
- Try any jam or marmalade you love in the bars, they will all work.
- Vary the nuts, too!
More Meyer lemon love~
Wonderful Spring dessert bar! I didn’t have myer lemons so I substituted regular lemons and zest and decreased the lemon juice by 1/8th cup then added in 1/8 cup of navel orange juice. Yummy!
I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I have done so many over the last 2 years. It’s a winner for potlucks and parties. I have also done other flavors of jams and butters too, pairing with other nut options too. Any chance someone has done a gluten free version? If so, what flour type and brand would you use?
So happy I came upon this recipe when looking for something to bake with meyer lemons from our own small tree. The lemin curd was delicious and easy to folliw instructions meant I wasn’t left with a soft mess like my attempt with lemon meringue pie. The combination of shortbread and macadamia was a big delectable winner with gorgeous texture and this may be my nrw favorite dessert. Instructions and quantities were spot on!
Hey Sue! I love your recipes, especially your doughnut cake. Dumb question: how do I adjust measurements for this recipe to make a 9 x 13 pan instead of 8 x 8?
Hi Pamela 🙂 I would just try doubling the recipe, it should work fine.