½cup(113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼cup(30 g) confectioners' sugar
Lemon Filling
1cup(200 g) granulated sugar
2tablespoonsall purpose flour
2teaspoonslemon zest
¼teaspoonbaking powder
Dash of salt
2large eggs, lightly beaten and room temperature
¼cup(60 mL) fresh lemon juice, strained
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
Shortbread crust
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, butter and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until combined (about 2-3 minutes). If the mixture doesn't come together, add 1 teaspoon of milk.
Press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes, or until light brown and fragrant. Lower oven temperature to 325° F.
Lemon Filling
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, lemon zest, baking powder, salt until combined. Add eggs and lemon juice. Beat until frothy, about 2-3 minutes.
Pour lemon filling over the crust (it's okay if the crust is still warm). Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove any bubbles. Bake at 325° F for 20 to 25 minutes longer or until the filling is set when gently shaken and it starts to turn golden in spots.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Use parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan. (If they don't lift, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan.)
Dust bars with confectioners' sugar and cut into 2-inch squares. Serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
Lemon juice: I do not suggest using store bought lemon juice. The lemon flavor will not be as fresh and strong. Baking dish: A glass baking dish works and is recommended if you don't line your pan with parchment paper. Grease the pan so the bars don't stick.High altitude adjustments: The shortbread crust will likely be dry. Add a teaspoon of milk to the dough so it comes together. Decrease sugar in lemon filling to 3/4 cup.Storing lemon bars: Store lemon bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Lemon bars keep at room temperature for a few hours.Freezing lemon bars: Once the bars have cooled completely, wrap the entire bar in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze on a flat surface for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before dusting with confectioners' sugar, cutting and serving.Suggested tools
Kitchen scale: Weighing your ingredients is more accurate than measuring them.
Hand mixer: I own this model. It makes mixing, quick, easy and reliable.
8x8 baking pan This pan is a staple when is comes to baking bars.
Lemon zester: This handy tool makes zesting easy. It also works for ginger, nutmeg, parmesan and chocolate.
Lemon juicer: Make juicing easy with this juicer that has a built in strainer.