I’ve always loved Lemon Bars but this recipe certainly tops any I’ve ever tried! I love how they’re not thin but instead are the height of other dessert bars I’ve made in the past. I also love that they use fresh lemons! They’re not too sweet but not too tart- the perfect lemon dessert for Spring!
The recipe below fills a 9×13 pan and serves a lot. One small square is a perfect serving. I’d say a pan can feed a crowd of 20+ people. If you’d like, halve the recipe and make it in an 8×8 square glass pan. Or make the 9×13 and freeze the leftovers- they freeze beautifully!
Incredible Lemon Bars
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Crust:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice {uses about 3-4 small/ medium lemons}
- 3 TBSP lemon zest
- 1/3 cup + 2 TBSP all purpose flour
- 6 eggs
- 2 1/4 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line your 9×13 pan with foil or parchment paper. I’ve used both. Foil tends to stick to the bottom of the lemon bars a bit, so if I had to choose one, I’d say use parchment paper.
{Note: in a couple of pictures below, I used a bakers quarter sheet. Just use a 9×13 pan. Trial and error on my part! }
Combine crust ingredients and mix well. Press into pan using the back of a spoon or your hands. Hands work well. I like to first get the crust spread evenly, then I try and push the edges of the crust up just a bit so that it holds the filling better.
Bake crust for 20 minutes.
While crust is baking, prepare ingredients for the filling.
I learned a trick to get more lemon juice out of fresh lemons- put them in the microwave for 15 seconds just prior to juicing them. I haven’t done any scientific research to see if this works, but I did get more than the required 2/3 cup! Also, I find it’s much easier to grate the outside of the lemon for the zest prior to juicing it!
Mix all filling ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl.
Once crust is done, allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes, preferably in front of a fan so that it cools to room temperature, or close to it.
Pour filling onto crust. Carefully put back into oven. Bake for about 35 minutes, watching the last 5 minutes that it doesn’t brown excessively.
Remove from oven and dust top with powdered sugar. Allow to cool a few hours before cutting. {If you don’t have a few hours, then place them in the fridge after a while, to cool faster.}
ENJOY!
To soften butter, I like to use the defrost function on my microwave. I use a timed defrost, as opposed to selecting a food item, then set it for 1 minute. It might need extra time if you’re softening more butter.