Lemon Bars

• servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsaltedbutter, room temperature

1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar

1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Lemon Filling

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice(approximately two large lemons)

1 tablespoons (5 grams) grated lemon zest*

2 tablespoons (25 grams) all purpose flour

Directions

Prep

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) pan.

Shortbread Crust

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth.

Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just starts to come together.

Press onto the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes, or just until lightly brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

Lemon Filling

In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs until nice and smooth.

Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.

Fold in the flour.

Pour the filling over the shortbread crust

Bake for about 17-20 minutes, or just until the filling has set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool."

To serve: Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar. These are best eaten the day they are made but can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Yield: 16 - 2 inch (5 cm) bars

Garnish

Confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar

Notes

• Always remove the zest first before halving and squeezing the lemon. Use a fine strainer to remove the seeds and pulp from the juice

• Filling is done when it is light brown and just starts to peel away from the edges. To avoid lemon goopyness, cool/refrigerate before cutting the squares

• DO NOT USE 9x10 PAN