Lemon Bars
It seems like everyone loves lemon bars, and there are so many recipes out there! These are my twist on a classic, which really highlights the lemon for a bright addition to any cookie platter.
Tips to get you started:
· When pressing the dough into the pan, I like to use clean fingers so that I can feel the thickness of the dough as I work, but you can do the same thing with the bottom of a measuring cup for a more level result.
· I love my micro plane for zesting citrus, but the Meyer lemons have a much more pliable skin which makes it hard to zest with a micro plane, so I use my knife to slice off thin skin strips and then finely mince the strips.
· Many recipes will say to pour the lemon filling onto the crust without cooking it first. I use a lot of lemon juice to get amazing lemon flavor, so I find that partially cooking the filling allows the crust and filling to then cook at the same pace, which avoids burnt crust.
Prep time: 10-20 minutes
Cook time: 50-70 minutes
Serves: 16 small squares
Ingredients:
Crust:
8 oz unsalted butter – room temperature
½ Cup granulated sugar
2 Cups all-purpose flour
Dash sea salt
Filling:
8 large organic egg yolks at room temperature
3 Cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons finely minced Meyer lemon zest
1 Cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
¼- 1/3 Cup Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Part one: Line a baking dish with parchment paper, leave enough of the ends of parchment sticking up out of the dish to use as grab tabs (this makes it easier to remove these from the pan and cut). Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, cream together butter, flour and salt until just mixed. Pour the resulting dough into a 9x13 baking dish and distribute evenly, pressing the dough into a flat layer which goes partially up the sides of the dish. Chill for 30 minutes or more.
Part two: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it is a light golden brown. Keeping the oven on but reducing the temperature to 300 F, remove the crust from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Part three: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks (about one minute). Slowly add a small spoonful of the hot juice mixture to the bowl with egg yolks, while stirring briskly so the eggs don’t scramble. Add a second spoonful, mixing briskly. Then while whisking briskly, transfer the entire egg mixture to the saucepan. Add the flour cook over medium high heat until the mixture just starts to thicken a little. Remove from heat.
Part four: Pour the lemon filling onto the warm crust and return the baking dish to the oven for another 20-30 minutes, until the filling has firmly set but has not cracked. Remove from the oven.
Part five: Using a sifter or sieve, dust the top of the lemon bars with confectioner’s sugar and allow to cool completely before cutting into 16 small squares.
Serving suggestion: Enjoy with herbal tea as you regroup from holiday shopping!
Tiny chefs at home? They can help:
· Measure ingredients
· Juice the lemon
· Dust the top of the bars with sugar (caution for hot pan!)
Nutrition information:
Total Calories: 162
Total Fat: 13 g
Cholesterol: 122 mg
Sodium: 4 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 8
Sugars: 2 g
Protein: 2 g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
