By Request Betty Shimabukuro

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Take simple path to make guava bars

THE LEMON bar cookie is the quintessential guilty pleasure: buttery crust, sweet-sour filling, sugary topping. Zero nutritional qualities, unless you count the lemon juice as scurvy-prevention.

The typical tropical version is the lilikoi bar, but Judy Yuen wanted a guava bar -- and one that used frozen juice concentrate, so as to skip the fuss and bother of hunting down fresh guavas to make purée.

This recipe is adapted from a lilikoi bar recipe, which itself seems to have come from a basic lemon bar recipe, only with less sugar.

The end result is still quite sweet. To cut that sweetness, leave out the topping and cut the sugar in the filling by 2 tablespoons. The topping makes a very thin layer anyway, although it does a lot to make the bars prettier.

Or, just cut the bars small and enjoy that bit of ultra-sweetness, just in tiny amounts.

For a more substantial crust, add 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts -- macadamias are good for a further tropical touch.

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Guava Bars

» Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Dash salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature, cut in pieces

» Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup frozen guava juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 eggs
2 drops red food coloring

» Topping:
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons frozen guava juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with foil or baking parchment.

To make crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter; continue to mix to make smooth dough. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.

To make filling: Combine sugar, flour and baking powder. In separate bowl, whisk together juices, lemon rind and eggs. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until smooth. Stir in food coloring.

Pour over hot crust and return to oven 20 more minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack.

Combine topping ingredients and spread over cooled bars. Slice in small pieces. If bars are soft, keep chilled.