Lemon Bars
These lemon bars are inspired by a recipe from my grandma. I made them at my restaurant and they were always a favorite. We always had two options, a plain lemon bar and one with fruit. We did blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and blackberry. So yummy!
Servings 12 bars
Ingredients
Base
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
Filling
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 1 1/2 cups lemon juice
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter or oil a 9x13 inch baking dish and line with baking parchment so that parchment is hanging over long sides of dish. Butter or oil the parchment as well.
Base
- Put the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine
- Add the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter, fork or your fingers, until you have a crumbly mixture that holds together when you press it in your hand
- Pour the crumbly mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread out evenly and press firmly into place so that it fills the bottom of the baking dish.
- Place in oven and set time for 20 minutes while you mix the filling. Crust is done when it is light golden brown.
Filling
- While crust is baking, mix the filling.
- Using the same bowl that you mixed the crust in, mix the eggs, sugar and flour together until you have a thick paste like consistency.
- Add the zest and mix.
- Measure the lemon juice and whipping cream together and pour that into the egg mixture a little at a time, whisk together as you go until all he liquid is mixed in.
- Set aside until crust is done
- When crust is ready, pour the filling on top of the hot crust and return to oven
- Bake for another 30-40 minutes or until filling is set
- Let cool completely. When cool, loosen the ends of the bars with a spatula or butter knife
- Then lift the bars out of the dish with the parchment paper and set on a cutting board
- Cut into bars, Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
- Store extras in refrigerator. Be sure to divide layers with parchment paper if stacking bars.
Notes
Lemon Bars can be frozen. After cutting the bars, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in freezer until completely frozen. Once frozen you can transfer bars to a silicone bag or a freezer safe container. I like to divide layers with parchment paper to be sure they do not stick together.