Perfect Lemon Bars Recipes

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.
• Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
• For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
• Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

PERFECT LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8'' pan with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray and set aside
• For the crust: In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed, just until combined.
• Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• While the crust cools, make the lemon filling. Mix the lemon zest and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, flour, baking powder, and eggs. Mix until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 more minutes, or until the filling has set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar before cutting and serving. Store lemon bars in the refrigerator.

CHEF JOHN'S LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack into middle position in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Place 1 cup flour and butter in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; mash mixture together until mixture looks like a slightly crumbly cookie dough.
• Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into bottom of prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust.
• Bake crust on center rack in the preheated oven until crust edges are barely golden brown, 22 minutes.
• Beat eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl; whisk in white sugar and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour lemon custard over crust.
• Bake on center rack until custard is set and top has a thin white sugary crust, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Dip knife into very hot water, run around the edge, and cut into 16 squares. Dust cookies with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar.

SUSAN'S PERFECT LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and line it with a sheet of parchment paper.
• Dot parchment paper with butter, then lay a second sheet of parchment crosswise over the first one, allowing the ends to extend over the top edge of the pan by about 1 inch.
• To Mix Crust in Food Processor: In a food processor, fitted with steel blade, pulse together the flour, confectioner's sugar, cornstarch and salt to mix well.
• Add 12 Tablespoons butter and process to blend (about 8 to 10 seconds), then pulse until mixture is a pale yellow color and resembles a coarse meal, (about three-1-second bursts).
• To Mix Crust By Hand: Mix flour, confectioner's sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Freeze butter and grate it on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture.
• Toss butter pieces to coat.
• Rub coated butter pieces between your fingers for a minute, until flour turns pale yellow and coarse.
• Sprinkle crust mixture into parchment lined pan.
• Using both hands, firmly press mixture into an even, 1/4" layer over the entire pan bottom and about 1/2" up the sides.
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Remove chilled crust and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Filling: Prepare filling while crust is baking.
• In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and flour.
• Stir in lemon zest, juice, milk and salt; stirring to blend well.
• Remove crust from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Stir filling mixture to reblend and pour over warm crust.
• Return bars to oven and bake about 20 minutes, or until filling feels firm when lightly touched.
• Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack to cool until almost room temperature (at least 30 minutes).
• Grasp the edges of the lengthwise parchment paper (long sides of the pan) and lift the lemon bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board or counter.
• Carefully peel the paper down from the sides and using a pizza cutter or knife, slice them into serving size bars, wiping pizza cutter or knife clean between cuts as necessary.
• Sieve confectioner's sugar over bars, if desired.
• Leftover bars can be sealed in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.