Hatch Chile Lemon Bars

Hatch Chile Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz Hatch Chile (pre-roast weight)

8 oz Cream Cheese

½ cup Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Lime Zest

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Slice Bacon

Roast your hatch chile over open mesquite coals until the skin turns black. Allow to cool, then remove the blackened skin. Open the pepper and scrape out the seeds and ribs.

Place the cooked peppers, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lime zest and lime juice into a food processor and puree until smooth.

Cook the bacon until crispy. Mince very fine. Set aside for garnish.

Lemon Bars

For the crumb crust

1 cup Flour

½ cup Butter

¼ cup Powdered Sugar

Blend with a paddle attachment on your stand mixer until the ingredients have a fine crumb. Pat evenly into the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a 350 Fahrenheit oven until slightly brown around the edges and it springs back to the touch.

Lemon Filling

2 Eggs

1 cup Granulated Sugar

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

2 ½ Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Dash of Salt

Whisk all ingredients until well blended and the color is a bright yellow and slightly foamy. Pour over the baked crust and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes. The filling will have a golden brown color and will not wiggle around in the pan when moved. It will still feel sticky to the touch.