Lemon bars hold a special place in my heart! They were my grandmother’s favorite dessert and she would always make them when we went to her house for Sunday night dinner.
She is British, so the meal would be awful every time, of course. But I would always look forward to lemon bars for dessert and I know that she would too.
A classic and an all-time favorite.
Lemon Bars (Adapted from the Tartine Cookbook)
The crust
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)
The Filling
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest, grated from 1 small lemon
6 large whole eggs
1 large egg yolk
pinch of salt
confectioners’ sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment paper).
To make the crust: sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the flour. Add the butter and pine nuts (if using) and beat on low speed just until a smooth dough forms.
Press the dough evenly into the pan. It should come 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
Bake the crust until it is a deep golden brown, about 25-35 minutes.
To make the filling: While the crust is baking sift the flour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the sugar until blended. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to dissolve the sugar. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolk with the salt. Add the eggs to the lemon juice mixture and whisk until well mixed.
Once the crust is ready pour the filling directly into the pan (leave the pan in the oven while you do this for maximum "setting" magic). Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake just until the center of the custard is set, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Let cool completely on a wire rack. Then cover and chill well before cutting. Cut into squares and dust the top with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Enjoy!