Lighter Lemon Bars - PCOS-Friendly Recipe

To make crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-by-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the excess to hang over the sides. Coat with nonstick spray.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork until a course meal forms. Sprinkle with the ice water and mix just until the dough forms a ball. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

When the dough has chilled, press in an even layer into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is firm to the touch.

To make the filling, in a mixing bowl combine the egg whites, egg, lemon juice, and zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat on medium speed until well combined. Sprinkle in the sugar and flour. Continue to beat until smooth and thick. Pour the lemon filling evenly over the hot crust and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Let the lemon bars cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Cut into bars and dust with powdered sugar before serving.