Life has been particularly stressful recently with freezing weather, wildfires that have obliterated communities, and the trials of getting through winter days. I live in Los Angeles and have been making this luscious lemon raspberry shortbread to bring some cheer to the community.

This layered cookie has a buttery shortbread bottom that supports the tangy lemon filling, and a tart raspberry layer is tucked between the crisp cookie crust and the lemon topping. A plate of these sunny bars would be at home at an afternoon tea.

There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting lemons. Make sure they are ripe and that there are no visible blemishes. The skin should have a slightly glossy texture. The outer skin, called the rind, is where much of the lemony tangy flavor is contained. The inner part of the skin is white (the pith) and very bitter.

Wash and dry the lemons before zesting. The zest can be removed using a vegetable peeler, grater or zester. Make sure to avoid removing any of the inner white pith. I like to use a Microplane or box grater since the zest is already in tiny pieces and doesn’t need to be chopped. A peeler will remove the zest, but you still need to make sure it is finely chopped. Fresh lemons are essential in this recipe; don’t even consider the bottled stuff.

This dessert is addictive, so give some to your neighbors or tuck a plastic bag full of bars in your freezer for future occasions. The bars are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

You can try substituting 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds for 1/2 cup of the flour for the crust. Or try blueberry jam instead of raspberry. Serve the bars with a bowl of raspberries and whipped cream.