Lemon bars
Another time-tested tongue tickler of sweet and sour
by Tara Johnson
Tart, slightly sweet lemon bars are fantastic. Soft with a hint of chewy and a flaky sweet crust, how can you go wrong? There are literally 6 different ingredients in this recipe, and they work together to create something magical. These bars do take a little time, because they are baked twice. I made these while making dinner though and it was perfect. I started the crust, baked it, got most of my meal cooked, whipped the filling together and returned the bars to the oven while I ate. The timing was perfect. If you want to get fancy with the powdered sugar top, lay a stencil on top of the pan and sprinkle the powdered sugar through the stencil. You will be a huge hit with the family and friends.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
Filling:
- 4 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Preparation instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick spray, butter or lard; set aside. Combine crust ingredients in a large bowl on low speed of an electric mixer until mixture is crumbly.
2. Press mixture evenly into pan. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown; remove from oven.
3. Beat together filling ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended.
4. Pour mixture evenly over warm baked crust.
5. Return to oven and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until filling is set and bars are brown around the edges.
6. Cool completely and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Cut into bars.
