Lovely Lemon Bars

There is currently six inches of snow outside. We still have a couple of months of this. I need something bright to remind me of the light of at the end of the tunnel, Spring. That's where these lemon bars come in. Lemon bars are a staple of your local bake sales for good reason. They're incredibly easy to make, tangy, creamy, and chewy. Great flavor and texture, which is what we all really want. Bakery-style bars right from your own home. It doesn't get much better than that! This is how you make my lovely lemon bars.

HOW TO MAKE MY LOVELY LEMON BARS:

Crust

• Start out by boiling three whole eggs for 15 minutes in a pot of water filled with enough water to cover.
• After boiling for 15 minutes, remove the eggs with a spider strainer and place gently into an ice bath. Let the eggs cool for about 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes or so, start peeling the eggs, as you would normally when making boiled eggs. I like to give the shell a gentle tap with the back of a butter knife to get it started.

• After the eggs are peeled, begin to cut each egg in half lengthwise. Gently squeeze the egg inwards so the yolk pops out. You can also just use a spoon to spoon out the yolk. It's usually not necessary though. Collect all the yolks and set aside.
• Place a sieve over a small bowl. Use the back of a metal or wooden spoon to push the boiled yolks through the sieve. The end mixture should be a fluffy yolk mixture.

• Begin with your butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Begin mixing on low speed for a minute or two. Add in the sugar gradually and mix for about a minute on low speed. Add in the boiled egg mixture all at once. Mix the mixture until a smooth paste on medium-low to medium speed for a couple of minutes. Our goal isn't to aerate the mixture but to just combine our ingredients. After that, add in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and one egg. Mix until combined for a couple of minutes. The mixture may seem like it broke or it's curdled, but that's normal. Next, add in the flour and salt all at once. Take the bowl off the stand mixer. Begin to gently fold in the flour into the wet ingredients until the mass of flour looks more like dough. Some flour may still be visible, but most of it should be absorbed.

• Once the dough has formed, place plastic wrap over a flat surface. Gently place the dough over the plastic wrap. Begin to wrap the dough thoroughly. Place the dough in the fridge to let it rest overnight. We rest it for structural and flavor purposes.

• The next day, let the dough thaw out of the fridge for two hours at room temperature. Then, line a 9x13" glass pan with aluminum foil. Make sure there is enough overhang for all four corners. Spray the inside of the pan well with cooking spray. Once the dough comes up to room temp, break up and crumble the dough into the bottom of the pan. Begin to gently pat the dough down until flat and uniform. It doesn't have to be perfect as this will be covered by the curd. Use a fork to dock the dough throughout as best as you can. Bake at 325°F for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

• Once the dough is pre-baked, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. While it's cooling, you can make the filling.

Filling

• Combine the eggs with the vanilla and begin to whisk to combine.

• Add in the sugar gradually and whisk until the mixture becomes paler and a bit thicker. Once it reaches that stage, add in the lemon juice and zest. Whisk to combine. Add in your flour and salt and mix until just combined and the flour is no longer visible. Be careful not to overmix.

• Pour the filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Poke any air bubble with a fork or toothpick. Bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer jiggly.

• Allow the mixture to cool at room temp out of the oven for two hours. Wrap well and freeze for two more hours. After cooling, use the aluminum overhang to lift out the mixture out of the pan.
• Use a hot knife and a towel to cut the bars evenly. Start by cutting in half, then cutting that half in half and so on. Make sure to clean your knife after each cut. You should be able to get 16 even bars.

Dust with confectioner sugar just before serving and enjoy!

MORE GREAT BAR RECIPES:

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Lovely Lemon Bars

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Lovely Lemon Bars Recipe

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Ingredients

Dough

• 2 sticks butter, unsalted and softened
• 113.40 grams granulated sugar
• 3 boiled eggs
• 1 whole egg
• 340.20 grams cake flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

Filling

• 6 whole eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup lemon juice (optionally you can also add zest from one or two lemons)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Start out by boiling three whole eggs for 15 minutes in a pot of water filled with enough water to cover.

• After boiling for 15 minutes, remove the eggs with a spider strainer and place gently into an ice bath. Let the eggs cool for about 10 minutes.

• After 10 minutes or so, start peeling the eggs, as you would normally when making boiled eggs. I like to give the shell a gentle tap with the back of a butter knife to get it started.
• After the eggs are peeled, begin to cut each egg in half lengthwise. Gently squeeze the egg inwards so the yolk pops out. You can also just use a spoon to spoon out the yolk. It's usually not necessary though. Collect all the yolks and set aside.
• Place a sieve over a small bowl. Use the back of a metal or wooden spoon to push the boiled yolks through the sieve. The end mixture should be a fluffy yolk mixture.
• Begin with your butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Begin mixing on low speed for a minute or two. Add in the sugar gradually and mix for about a minute on low speed. Add in the boiled egg mixture all at once. Mix the mixture until a smooth paste on medium-low to medium speed for a couple of minutes. Our goal isn't to aerate the mixture but to just combine our ingredients. After that, add in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and one egg. Mix until combined for a couple of minutes. The mixture may seem like it broke or it's curdled, but that's normal. Next, add in the flour and salt all at once. Take the bowl off the stand mixer. Begin to gently fold in the flour into the wet ingredients until the mass of flour looks more like dough. Some flour may still be visible, but most of it should be absorbed.
• Once the dough has formed, place plastic wrap over a flat surface. Gently place the dough over the plastic wrap. Begin to wrap the dough thoroughly. Place the dough in the fridge to let it rest overnight. We rest it for structural and flavor purposes.
• The next day, let the dough thaw out of the fridge for two hours at room temperature. Then, line a 9x13" glass pan with aluminum foil. Make sure there is enough overhang for all four corners. Spray the inside of the pan well with cooking spray. Once the dough comes up to room temp, break up and crumble the dough into the bottom of the pan. Begin to gently pat the dough down until flat and uniform. It doesn't have to be perfect as this will be covered by the curd. Use a fork to dock the dough throughout as best as you can. Bake at 325°F for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
• Once the dough is pre-baked, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. While it's cooling, you can make the filling. Combine the eggs with the vanilla and begin to whisk to combine.
• Add in the sugar gradually and whisk until the mixture becomes paler and a bit thicker. Once it reaches that stage, add in the lemon juice and zest. Whisk to combine. Add in your flour and salt and mix until just combined and the flour is no longer visible. Be careful not to overmix.
• Pour the filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Poke any air bubble with a fork or toothpick. Bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer jiggly.
• Allow the mixture to cool at room temp out of the oven for two hours. Wrap well and freeze for two more hours. After cooling, use the aluminum overhang to lift out the mixture out of the pan.
• Use a hot knife and a towel to cut the bars evenly. Start by cutting in half, then cutting that half in half and so on. Make sure to clean your knife after each cut. You should be able to get 16 even bars.
• Dust with confectioners sugar, just before serving!

Notes

Wrap well and freeze for up to three months or refrigerate for up to a week.