Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
User Reviews
4.6
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe
Description
Easy Lemon Bars Recipe starts with a shortbread base made by blending sugar, flour, and room temperature butter into a crumbly dough that's pressed and baked until golden. The filling uses a mix of egg yolks, sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon juice and zest, plus vanilla extract, whisked together into a smooth custard. This filling is poured over the baked crust and baked again to set. The resulting bars have a firm, buttery crust with a creamy, tangy lemon layer that cuts through the richness with acidity.
The texture is a balance of crisp edges from the baked shortbread and a soft, slightly dense lemon custard center. After baking, a dusting of powdered sugar adds a light sweetness and pretty finish. These bars are served best cooled and cut into squares, making a refreshing dessert or snack.
The recipe notes emphasize adding flour and baking powder to the filling to ensure it sets properly. Leftover egg whites can be saved for other recipes like meringues, and can be frozen if needed. The use of lemon juice and zest provides fresh citrus flavor that is central to these bars' character.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (caster sugar)
- 8 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (12oz/340g) sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4oz/177g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) butter at room temperature
- 10 tablespoons (5oz/142g) butter (cubed and softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 lemon juiced and zested (about 3/4 cup juice, plural
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour See Notes, 2 ½ oz / 71 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (See Notes)
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
Notes
- Incorporate the flour and baking powder into the lemon filling to help it set firmly after baking.
- Save leftover egg whites to make meringues or freeze them for future use.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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