
Pucker Up!
Another chapter from the Lemon Cookbook! My friend S and I decided to make Ina Garten‘s lemon bars. I’d made it once a few years ago and it was quite a disaster, but it was my fault. My baking dish was too small so the bars never cooked properly. This time, I put the batter into two dishes. Still, I can’t say I loved these. I loved the taste; it was an excellent balance of tart and sweet. But the texture wasn’t quite right. The recipe calls for flour in the lemon mixture to help the bars set, but I felt like this made the bars gummy. None of the others that ate these made that comment and in fact, they went over really well, but I personally would prefer something a bit creamier. If anyone has a killer lemon bar recipe, hit me with it!
Lemon Bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes / Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes / Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 20 squares or 40 triangles
CRUST:
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
FILLING:
- 6 XL eggs, room temp
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (4-6 lemons)
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. 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.
3. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
4. 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.
GRADE: B
♥Lady Butterbuns