I love lemon bars. Lemon curd. Lemon mousse, Lemon cake. Lemon buttercream. Lemon tart. Really, all things lemon.
This lemon cookie bar, that’s quite easy to make, is naturally one of my favourite treats!
I have other lemon bar recipes with a more European twist where eggs and sugar are cooked on the stovetop. However, those lemon bars are very similar to my tarte au citron and involve a lot more effort. Which I don’t think is necessary because the lemon bars in this post are so simple yet so incredibly delicious as is!
This recipe is very similar to almost every recipe on the internet as really, there’s only so many ways you can combine shortbread and lemons, but I’m aiming for a higher ratio of crust to filling.
Also, by cooling your cookie crust completely, the filling doesn’t seep into the crust, resulting in a better textural contrast.
Well, now that I looked at my lemon bars pictures, I’m afraid I will not be able to resist making them.
Why don’t you make them with me and share your thoughts and pictures!
PS – you can double this recipe and bake in 9×13 pan.
Preheat oven to 350. Line 11x8 at least 1.5 inch tall baking dish with parchment paper, allowing the sides to overhang, so that you could later lift your bars out of the pan.
To make the crust, whisk flour, sugar and salt. Grate cold butter with a cheese grater into the flour mixture and mix it with your fingers to resemble coarse crumbs. Do not overwork the dough. Press it into 11x8 baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-22 minutes until firm and beginning to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven.
While the crust is baking, rub lemon peel with sugar to get it to release its fragrant oils; whisk in eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the flour and a pinch of salt. Add lemon juice and gently mix it in. Pour over crust as it comes out of the oven; no need to cool crust first. Bake for an additional 23-26 minutes until the mixture is barely set; you will notice that it will form a slight sugary dry crust. The mixture should still be jiggly - remember, it will firm up as it cools.
Allow to cool for a 30-60 minutes then refrigerate to cool completely and allow the bars to set, at least 2 hours. Lift out of your baking dish and slice with a sharp knife (hold the knife under hot water and wipe dry with a paper towel between slices for clean cuts.) Dust your bars with about 1 TBSP of icing sugar before serving, if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Line 11x8 at least 1.5 inch tall baking dish with parchment paper, allowing the sides to overhang, so that you could later lift your bars out of the pan.
To make the crust, whisk flour, sugar and salt. Grate cold butter with a cheese grater into the flour mixture and mix it with your fingers to resemble coarse crumbs. Do not overwork the dough. Press it into 11x8 baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-22 minutes until firm and beginning to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven.
While the crust is baking, rub lemon peel with sugar to get it to release its fragrant oils; whisk in eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the flour and a pinch of salt. Add lemon juice and gently mix it in. Pour over crust as it comes out of the oven; no need to cool crust first. Bake for an additional 23-26 minutes until the mixture is barely set; you will notice that it will form a slight sugary dry crust. The mixture should still be jiggly - remember, it will firm up as it cools.
Allow to cool for a 30-60 minutes then refrigerate to cool completely and allow the bars to set, at least 2 hours. Lift out of your baking dish and slice with a sharp knife (hold the knife under hot water and wipe dry with a paper towel between slices for clean cuts.) Dust your bars with about 1 TBSP of icing sugar before serving, if desired.
