Savannah Smiles Zesty Lemon Streusel Bars

Last year during Girl Scout cookie season I bought two of my favorite flavors: one for eating and the other for baking with. I used the for-baking Thin Mints last year but I've been a bit stumped about what to bake with the Savannah Smiles and Tagalongs, especially the Savannah Smiles since they just came out last year. I guess I should've waited a year since last weekend I decided to bake with them and came across this recipe on the Little Brownie Bakers website for Savannah Smiles Zesty Lemon Streusel Bars (according to their About Us, they are an authorized Girl Scout cookie baking company).

Savannah Smiles Zesty Lemon Streusel Bars (source)

Crust Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter, softened
  
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp lemon rind

Filling Ingredients

• 1 large pkg (4.3 oz) lemon cook and serve pudding and pie filling (I wasn't able to find a 4.3 oz package so I used 3.4 oz and 1 oz packages)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 pkg (about 14) Savannah Smiles lemon cookies, crushed
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Cream together all 4 crust ingredients with an electric mixer until it forms into dough.
2. Spread the crust dough evenly in a 9" x 9" pan.
3. Bake crust for 10 minutes in a 350* oven.
4. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling by combining all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes.
5. Remove crust from oven and immediately pour filling over hot crust. (I hadn't quite read the whole recipe so I took the crust out before the filling was ready. It was still warm when I poured the filling over so I think it all worked out.)
6. Sprikle the cookie crumbs evenly over the filling.
7. Continue baking the bars for 20 to 25 minutes in a 350* oven, until set.
8. Remove bars from oven and cool.
9. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into squares.

I guess they turned out OK. My mom had a bar and liked it. My dad, however, thought it was missing chocolate (which I can't have right now since I gave it up for Lent). So I mostly ate them over the past week. At least they were delicious.