Lemon Almond Meringue Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 x 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 None large eggs, separated
1.75 oz flaked almonds, toasted, half finely chopped

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Grease an 8 x 12 jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper, overlapping the long sides of the pan.
Beat butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in ground almonds and flour. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 25 mins, or until lightly browned. Cool.
In a small bowl, combine milk, zest, juice and egg yolks. Spread over crust; refrigerate for 30 mins, or until just set
Preheat the oven again to 350\u00b0F. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until dissolved between additions. Fold in the chopped almonds. Spread meringue over lemon bars and sprinkle with remaining almonds. Bake for 15 mins, or until lightly browned.