Lemon Bars
Has spring really even sprung if you haven’t whipped up a batch of lemon bars?
(In a similar line of thought: have you really even sheltered in place if you haven’t made banana bread?)
There’s something about these bright, zesty citrus bars that begs to be made on warm, sunny days. Temper that tang with a little bit of sweetness by dusting the tops with powdered sugar. Layer all of that on a bed of buttery shortbread – and you’re golden.
And they’re SO easy! Seriously, what are you waiting for? If you can’t get out into the sunshine, bring some sunshine in to you.
Lemon Bars
Sunshine in a pan! Bright, zesty lemon bars layered on a buttery shortbread crust.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
shortbread crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
lemon layer
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper on all sides.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, flour and salt. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Press the shortbread in an even layer into the prepared pan. I find using a rubber spatula to jab and smooth the dough to be effective. Use a fork to make a few holes in the crust. Bake the crust for 20 minutes.
- While the crust bakes, make the lemon layer. Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl to prevent clumps. Add the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest, and whisk until completely combined. The mixture will be thin.
- Take the crust out of the oven and pour the lemon layer over the baked shortbread crust.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 20-25 more minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles. Take the bars out of the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Once the bars are completely cool, transfer to the fridge to set for 2 hours (or overnight) until ready to serve. Use a sifter to liberally dust the tops with powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy!
Keywords: Lemon bars, lemon squares, lemon, meyer lemon
