Lemon Bars (with Shortbread Crust!)

Making The Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and fully line a 9 x 13 glass or ceramic dish with parchment paper.
2. Combine together flour, softened butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and salt with an electric mixer. Mix until a thick dough forms.
3. Press the dough into the bottom of the glass 9x13 pan. At first it may seem like there isn’t enough dough. Trust the process and keep pressing and spreading the dough until the dough is spread evenly across the whole pan.
4. Zest and juice the lemons, removing any seeds from the juice. This can take 4-5 lemons depending on the lemons for the juice. I like to squeeze the lemons into a glass measuring cup to make sure it gets to about ⅔ of a cup, then I strain the seeds.
5. Bake the dough for about 20-23 minutes. It is better for this crust to be a little crispier rather than underbaked. Make sure the center is cooked all the way and is not doughy in the center. While the dough is baking make the filling. (See notes)

Making The Filling

1. In a second bowl mix together, egg, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice with an electric mixer until the sugar is fully dissolved to form the lemon layer. Right before pouring it over the crust layer, give the lemon mixture one last quick stir in case anything has settled to the bottom.
2. Immediately when the crust comes out of the oven, pour the lemon curd over the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
3. You’ll know the center is set if you gently move the pan from side to side and the center doesn’t look liquidy anymore. The entire top of the lemon curd layer will also form a crust over the top and the edges of the bars will become a light caramel color but the center will still have a creamy lemon filling.
4. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least an hour. Place bars in the fridge and allow them to cool for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Once chilled, pull the parchment paper from the bars and place on a large cutting board. With a large knife, trim the edges of the bars off. (see my tips in the article of how to easily trim the bars.) Slice the bars evenly into squares, about 2 1/2 inches wide.
6. Dust the lemon bars generously with powdered sugar. Place a few handfuls of powdered sugar through a fine metal mesh sieve or in a tea ball to sprinkle over the lemon bars to sprinkle evenly. I recommend you serve cold, enjoy!