1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. butter (2 sticks), softened (or 12 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, for dairy-free)
2 C. + 1/2 C. flour
4 eggs
2 C. sugar
1/3 C. Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9x13 pan by lining it with criss-crossed pieces of aluminum foil that have an overhang of an inch or two. Spray with cooking spray unless using non-stick aluminum foil.
2. Cream powdered sugar and butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add 2 C. of the flour and beat on medium until well-blended. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. (Gluten-free will not turn golden! See NOTE, below.)
4. Beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
5. Sift the reserved 1/2 C. flour and the baking powder into the liquid mixture. Blend well.
6. Pour over the hot crust and return to oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes.
7. Check for doneness at 15 minutes and add on time as needed until filling is set. (A toothpick should come out mostly clean when stuck in the middle of the custard filling.)
8. Cool completely before cutting. (Truly! They're demanding that way.) Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.
NOTE: You can make these gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend for the flour. They can be made dairy-free, as well, but using vegetable shortening instead of butter. The crust will appear to not be crisping up, and you will be tempted to overcook it at the first stage, but just remember that it will cook for an additional 20 minutes. Don't cook longer than about 30 minutes in the first, crust-alone baking.
The original recipe appeared on FoodieCrush.com as Meyer Lemon Bars, by Heidi.
Her recipe notes:
* These lemon bars are a little more crackly on the top than some recipes I've seen. After doing some research, I think it is due to the amount of sugar used in a recipe. Personally, I like this hint of crispness on top and bottom to balance out the sweet yellow custard in the middle, so I'm keeping it.
* While some recipes call for the shortbread crust to go up the side of the pan (1/2 inch seems pretty standard), I prefer less crust, so I just press it into the bottom of the pan, but you can certainly do either to your liking.
* If you can't find Meyer lemons, sub half of the lemon juice with fresh orange juice, or go ahead and use regular lemons for extra tartness.
1 C. butter (2 sticks), softened (or 12 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, for dairy-free)
2 C. + 1/2 C. flour
4 eggs
2 C. sugar
1/3 C. Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9x13 pan by lining it with criss-crossed pieces of aluminum foil that have an overhang of an inch or two. Spray with cooking spray unless using non-stick aluminum foil.
2. Cream powdered sugar and butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add 2 C. of the flour and beat on medium until well-blended. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. (Gluten-free will not turn golden! See NOTE, below.)
4. Beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
5. Sift the reserved 1/2 C. flour and the baking powder into the liquid mixture. Blend well.
6. Pour over the hot crust and return to oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes.
7. Check for doneness at 15 minutes and add on time as needed until filling is set. (A toothpick should come out mostly clean when stuck in the middle of the custard filling.)
8. Cool completely before cutting. (Truly! They're demanding that way.) Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.
NOTE: You can make these gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend for the flour. They can be made dairy-free, as well, but using vegetable shortening instead of butter. The crust will appear to not be crisping up, and you will be tempted to overcook it at the first stage, but just remember that it will cook for an additional 20 minutes. Don't cook longer than about 30 minutes in the first, crust-alone baking.
Her recipe notes:
* These lemon bars are a little more crackly on the top than some recipes I've seen. After doing some research, I think it is due to the amount of sugar used in a recipe. Personally, I like this hint of crispness on top and bottom to balance out the sweet yellow custard in the middle, so I'm keeping it.
* While some recipes call for the shortbread crust to go up the side of the pan (1/2 inch seems pretty standard), I prefer less crust, so I just press it into the bottom of the pan, but you can certainly do either to your liking.
* If you can't find Meyer lemons, sub half of the lemon juice with fresh orange juice, or go ahead and use regular lemons for extra tartness.
No comments:
Post a Comment