Bright, sharp and tart lemon curd sits between a crumbly oreo crust and a smooth dark chocolate ganache. The unlikely duo you didn't know you needed.
Bright, sharp and tart lemon curd sits between a crumbly oreo crust and a smooth dark chocolate ganache. The unlikely duo you didn’t know you needed.
I know it’s not a common combination but I must tell you, if you have never tried lemon curd with chocolate you are missing out. I was convinced a few years back when I made this chocolate lemon tart and couldn’t believe how good the two were together. It stayed in the back of my mind, hanging out, until earlier this winter when I decided to create something with that combination in mind.
Hear me out: the lemon curd is bright and sharp, tart and super sweet. Dark chocolate ganache, earthy and unsweetened is mellow but decadent. I can’t explain it, they just go together SO WELL. You must try it.
First you’ll prep your pan and combine the crust ingredients. There’s two baking sessions for the bars: the first is to set the crust, the second is to set the curd. For time efficiency we’ll have the curd cooking, prepared to go onto the crust and into the oven while the crust is in the oven. The ganache goes on later, much later. Okay let’s break this down:
When I use oreos, I always remove the cream first. There’s enough sugar in the cookie itself that it doesn’t need it. There’s also added butter in the cream which will make the crust oily. If you choose to keep the cream in, reduce the amount of butter listed.
Also, in case you are using a different cookie or a different chocolate sandwich cookie (I use the whole foods brand) I list the ingredients in crumbs not number of cookies. The ratio works well like this, no matter what cookie you end up using
Last, not all recipes ask you to pre-bake the crust but it’s always extra crumbly if you don’t. It will bake a bit more once the curd is on top but the moisture from the curd will prevent it from fully setting, so we pre-bake.
I have a historically turbulent relationship with ganache. But, set aside a few mishaps now and then, we have gotten to a point where I understand what it needs in order for it to comply with my dessert desires. Here’s some tips:
It will look oily, and this will have happened only if you’ve overheated the heavy cream and burned the chocolate.
The cream wasn’t heated enough or the chocolate wasn’t evenly chopped. You can try heating the ganache just a bit to help the rest of the chocolate melt but this is a very delicate endeavor and you may end up burning it. If it’s only a few pieces, I’d strain the ganache. If you think you’d like to try heating it, do it in a bowl over gently simmering water.
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having real trouble understanding your instructions for the parchment paper: “on both sides (to make a + sign” … Both sides? As in all 4 sides? And trying to picture a plus sign… to divide the pan into 4 sections?
as in, lay one on top of the other so that they make a + sign and cover all sides of the pan
I made this and couldn’t choose between the lemon and the raspberry… so I marbled them. It was a great choice. These were so delicious and tart!
A friend asked me to make dessert for her husband’s birthday. He loves lemon & chocolate so I gave these a go. I used regular oreos & did not remove the filling, nor did I run the curd through a sieve. As I was short on time, I put this in the freezer to chill. These were absolutely delicious and the odd combo of lemon and chocolate is now something I shall be craving for a very long time! Thank you for an excellent recipe that brought joy to many at a birthday party!
I love making you Blueberry Curd Bars. Would this lemon curd work well with that crust for more traditional lemon bars?
Yes! Actually – I like the lemon curd from this recipe a bit more: https://buttermilkbysam.com/lemon-pistachio-baklava-pie/
Can’t wait to try these! Do you think these would freeze well?
Should be fine frozen!
SO if i use the raspberry instead of the lemon, do I still cook the crust for ten, add the raspberry filling and cook for 10 more or is there something else i need to do?
The bake times are the same with the raspberry. 10 minutes for the crust to par-bake and then 10-12 minutes for the crust & the filling together.