Lemon Bars
These lemon bars have a buttery shortbread crust and a bright, tangy lemon filling. They’re sweet, tart, and perfect for slicing into small dessert squares.
Ingredients
- Baking spray for the pan
For the Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
For the Filling
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 to 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Recommended Equipment
- 8-inch square baking pan
- 7-cup food processor optional
- Pastry blender/cutter optional
- Mixing bowl
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Crust
- Heat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8-inch square baking pan with baking spray.Baking spray for the pan
- Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and fine salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the cubes of butter and pulse until the dough forms crumbs. The crumbs should be moist enough to hold together when pressed but not too wet or too dry. Alternatively, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and work the butter in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms crumbs.1 cup all-purpose flour | 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes | 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar | 1 tsp vanilla extract | 1/4 tsp fine salt
- Press the crumbs into the prepared baking pan.
- Partially bake the crust for 20 minutes.
Make the Lemon Filling
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and 1/3 cup of flour.3 large eggs | 1 tbsp lemon zest | 1/2 cup lemon juice | 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar | 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Pour the filling over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the filling is set.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a rack. For cleaner slices, chill the bars for at least 1 hour before cutting.
- To serve, cut the cooled or chilled bars into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar.1 to 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 51mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 229IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
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