Earl Grey Guava Lemon Bars (Printable version)

Elegant bars featuring floral Earl Grey, sweet guava, and zesty lemon layers.

# What you need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 1 Earl Grey tea bag, contents only

→ Guava Layer

06 - 1 cup guava paste, cut into small cubes
07 - 2 tablespoons water

→ Lemon-Earl Grey Filling

08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 - 1 Earl Grey tea bag, contents only
13 - 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, approximately 3 to 4 lemons
14 - Zest of 1 lemon
15 - Pinch of salt

→ Finishing

16 - Powdered sugar for dusting

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, salt, and Earl Grey tea bag contents. Mix until crumbly dough forms.
03 - Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly golden around edges.
04 - While crust bakes, combine guava paste and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until paste melts into thick, spreadable consistency. Remove from heat.
05 - Immediately upon removing crust from oven, carefully spread melted guava paste evenly over hot crust.
06 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, Earl Grey tea bag contents, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until fully incorporated.
07 - Pour filling over guava layer and return pan to oven. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until center is just set and no longer jiggles when gently shaken.
08 - Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
09 - Once chilled, lift bars from pan using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The floral tea flavor keeps people guessing what makes these bars taste so sophisticated and interesting.
  • Three distinct layers mean every bite has something different going on, from buttery crust to smooth guava to that bright lemon filling.
  • They look absolutely stunning dusted with powdered sugar, perfect for impressing without hours of fussy work.
02 -
  • If you pour the filling over a cold guava layer instead of a hot one, the two won't marry together and you'll get separation, so timing matters here.
  • The tea flavor can get bitter if you're not careful, so resist the urge to add more tea bags than the recipe calls for, or you'll overpower everything else.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs whisk smoother and incorporate air better, which makes your filling tender instead of rubbery.
  • A sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts gives you clean edges and makes the bars look professionally done.
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