Lemon Squares to celebrate our (almost) post-pandemic life

I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes about desserts lately, and it’s definitely been tickling my sweet tooth. I’m really into those 5-minute, microwavable recipes, but sometimes I gather the energy to whip up a dessert that actually involves the oven. So I decided to share one of those with you guys today.

I’ve always had a huge sweet tooth, which was good news for my family when the pandemic first started because it meant lots of desserts! After lots of cakes, lava cakes, cookies, and baked bars, I finally found my all-time favourite: Lemon Squares

These lemon bars have a lemon curd filling that tops a delectable shortbread base.

Recipe:

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes – it only takes me 25 mins
Total Time: 35 – 50 mins (not including cooling time)
Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients:

Shortbread Crust

1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

Lemon Filling

2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 cup (240ml) lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan* with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.

2. Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust).

3. Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice until completely combined.

4. Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature.

5. Once cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

6. Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners’ sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

You guys should definitely give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes! It’s been a family favourite ever since I discovered it, so I hope you like it too. I’ve linked the original recipe below if you want to take a look at something.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-bars-recipe/

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