LEMON BARS
Ingredients
- Confectioner’s sugar, for decorating
Crust:
- 2 1/2 2.5 2.5cups CUP_USVolumeall-purpose flour
- 1 1 1cup CUP_USVolumeconfectioner’s sugar
- 1/3 .33 .33cup CUP_USVolumecornstarch
- 1/2 .5 .5teaspoon TEASPOON_USVolumesalt
- 10 10 10ounces OUNCE_USVolumeunsalted butter, cut into chunks
Lemon Custard:
- 8 8 8eggs
- 1 1/2 1.5 1.5cups CUP_USVolumegranulated sugar
- 1/4 .25 .25cup CUP_USVolumeall-purpose flour
- 1/4 .25 .25teaspoon TEASPOON_USVolumesalt
- 2 2 2cups CUP_USVolumefresh lemon juice
- 1/2 .5 .5cup CUP_USVolumemilk
- 2 2 2tablespoons TABLESPOON_USVolumelemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. With the machine running, add the butter and continue to process until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 12-by-18-inch baking pan. With your fingers, press it in to form an even layer of crust.
- Bake the crust until light golden in color, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the lemon custard topping. Sift together the sugar, flour & salt, reserve.
- Add the sifted dry mixture and whisk until eggs are well blended. Finally, stir in th lemon juice, milk and lemon zest.
- Pour the lemon mixture over the prebaked crust, return the pan to the oven, and continue to bake until the custard has set, approximately 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, cool to room temperature, and then chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- To serve, use a sharp knife, cut down through the topping and crust to make 3 dozen bars. Carefully remove them from the pan and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
ABOUT THIS RECIPE
If you want to serve Champagne after a meal, these easy, tangy bars are a great accompaniment—especially with a medium-dry sparkler.