Lemon Raspberry Bars

 I found this recipe over at Two Peas and Their Pod (they have such amazing recipes over there!) and it is the perfect summer dessert in my book! I love chocolate and usually prefer my desserts to be rich and chocolatey, but this dessert and creamy and cold . . . and amazing! If you need to impress someone with a delicious dessert, this is the one to make!

For the crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
For the filling:
2 large egg yolks
1-14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 ounces fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 8 by 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Once the crust is cool, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the raspberries. Fold carefully so you don't break the raspberries.
Pour the lemon raspberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.
Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve. Keep bars in the refrigerator-up to five days.

*Side notes-use fresh raspberries and make sure you gently fold the berries into the lemon filling or you will have pink bars. Also, I used an 8x11" baking dish, making the crust and filling a little thinner, but it made more bars and I was able to share some with the neighbors. :) So if you follow the recipe and use an 8x8" pan, your bars will be a lot thicker than mine.

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