Sweet And Tangy Lemon Bars: The Perfect Summertime Dessert

Have you ever bumped into a stranger at a town festival and instantly become friends? Well that’s exactly what happened to me and my friend Kathleen. Creative minds just click, I guess!

Kathleen owns her own flower shop and party planning business and had asked me to make lemon bars for an upcoming event. While I love lemons, for some reason it had never occurred to me to make this scrumptious treat! And boy, am I glad I finally did!

This Lemon Bar recipe has now become one of my staple recipes and treats that I offer on a regular basis (just wait til you try it with passion fruit). I’ve taken my time perfecting it so that the lemon curd holds it shape, even on slightly warmer days; and it has that perfect blend of tangy and sweet on top of a shortbread crust with just the right amount of crumble.

Use a large knife and rock back and forth slowly.

Tips

  • Use all of your leftover egg whites to make french macarons or meringues! (Recipes coming soon)
  • Don’t skimp on the fresh lemons! It’s ok to use a little bit of store bought lemon juice, but you still need the freshly squeezed pulp and the lemon zest
  • Refrigerate at least overnight before cutting. I like to leave mine loosely covered in the fridge so they start to develop a bit of a skin on top. It helps to hold its shape better before cutting and the powdered sugar doesn’t melt into the top so quickly.
  • Use this lemon curd recipe (with or without the cornstarch) in other recipes. Cheese danishes, macaron filling, or just on toast!

Serving Size:
15-24 bars
Time:
1 hour + Overnight
Difficulty:
Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the Lemon Curd
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 8 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 10 Tbs butter
  • For the Shortbread
  • 20 Tbs butter
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 c powdered sugar

Directions