Here we go with another lemon recipe, but what else was I supposed to do with the leftover lemons I had after this recipe? And I needed to bake something that I could photograph on my new polka dot plate ;). These bars have a shortbread crust, topped with a sweet/tart lemon filling, and dusted with powdered sugar. I’ve tried a bunch of different lemon bar recipes but this one is by far my favorite. The crust stays nice and crisp and the filling is smooth and thickens up perfectly. I’ve made them so many times I’ve lost count, including a couple times using limes instead of lemons and they’re always good–especially if you like the sweet & tart flavor combo. Don’t be tempted to use bottled lemon juice. It’s totally worth the extra effort to juice a couple lemons. Besides the fact that bottled lemon juice has an odd flavor, if you use bottled you won’t have the zest, which really boosts the lemon flavor. Enjoy!
Lemon Bars
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup butter, cold
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, and butter using a pastry cutter (or two knives) until crumbly. Pat dough into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, lemon zest and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.
4. Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into squares.
*adapted from allrecipes, updated 4/22/19
