Earl Grey Guava Lemon Bars (Print Version)

Elegant bars featuring Earl Grey tea, sweet guava, and fresh lemon atop a buttery crust.

# What You'll 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 freshly squeezed lemon juice
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 overhang on sides 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 prepared pan bottom. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden around edges.
04 - While crust bakes, combine guava paste and water in small saucepan over low heat. Stir until paste melts into thick, spreadable consistency. Remove from heat.
05 - Spread melted guava paste evenly over hot crust immediately after removing from oven.
06 - In large bowl, whisk 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. Return pan to oven and bake 15-18 minutes until center is just set and does not jiggle when shaken gently.
08 - Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
09 - Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 equal squares. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It looks fancy enough to impress at a dinner party but honestly comes together faster than you'd expect.
  • The flavor combination feels sophisticated without being pretentious—three bold tastes that somehow make sense together.
  • These bars hold up beautifully, taste even better the next day, and ship well if you need to mail them to someone special.
02 -
  • If your guava paste doesn't melt smoothly, it's likely too cold—bring it closer to room temperature or add an extra tablespoon of water and stir patiently rather than cranking up the heat.
  • The filling will look wet when it comes out of the oven, and that's exactly right; don't panic and bake it longer or you'll end up with rubbery bars that taste more like custard tart than tender lemon bars.
  • Powdered sugar absorbs moisture if dusted too early, so do this final step right before serving or it'll blur into the bars.
03 -
  • Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice—bottled tastes harsh and metallic against the delicate tea and guava.
  • Room temperature eggs and softened butter make a genuine difference in texture; cold ingredients fight you every step.
  • If the filling seems to be browning too quickly on top while the center is still jiggly, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.
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