I have entered into my Spring/Summer everything lemon phase again. It happens every year about this time and generally lasts a couple of months. There is no explanation for it, at least none of which I am aware, so I just enjoy myself. With a big Costco size bag of lemons in the fridge, I’m ready for a serious lemon fest.
I have a series of three posts for lemony things and the absolute guarantee that more lemon posts will follow this summer. So, pucker up, baby.
Lemon bars are not a new phenomenon and as I see it, there’s really not much wiggle room for changing the average lemon bar recipe. The one that I am presenting here is from Land O’ Lakes. It’s got a nice amount of tang vs. sweet plus a wonderful buttery crust. The only alteration I made to the recipe was to sprinkle the tops of the lemon bars with powdered sugar instead of using the glaze. I think that the glaze would have pushed the bars a bit too far on the sweet-o-meter, but I could be wrong.
Tangy Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
Filling
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Glaze ( Optional. See Notes.)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
Crust
- Combine all crust ingredients in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. I used the wire whisk attachment for my Kitchenaid.
- Press mixture onto bottom of ungreased 13- × 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.
Filling
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of the mixer add the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, lemon zest, and salt. Beat at medium speed until well mixed.
- Reduce speed to low; add 1/4 cup flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.
- Pour filling over hot, partially baked crust. Return to oven and continue baking for 23 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool completely.
Glaze or Powdered Sugar Topping
- If using glaze: Combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and vanilla in small bowl. Beat at low speed, gradually adding enough lemon juice and scraping bowl often, until desired glazing consistency. Drizzle over cooled bars. Cut into bars.
- If using powdered sugar: Dust top of cooled bars with desired amount of powdered sugar.
Notes
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I gotta try these! And that photo is gorgeous!
Hi Jennie! Thank you. So nice to hear from you. I think that you will really like this recipe. It’s definitely on the rich side, so I’d suggest cutting the bars smaller rather than larger. Let me know how they turn out for you.
I’m totally “team powdered sugar” too! Even though I always inhale it. It’s a wonder I don’t get powdered sugar inhalation pneumonia. Haha! I’m loving your lemon recipes. Fantastic flavor for spring/summer!!
Hey, I get powdered sugar inhalation pneumonia, too! I feel like such a freak when I do that and everyone else around me seems to handling their powdered sugar just fine.
…laughing… I know, right? Others are enjoying their lemon bar while we cough and hack and wheeze our way past the powdered sugar. Haha! It’s nice to know you get it.
Under the heading “Crust” the last ingredient reads “3/4 cup, softened” and again under the heading “Glaze” an ingredient reads “1 tablespoon, softened”. Am I correctly assuming this would be butter? Thanks!
PS – I always !LOVE! your recipes 🙂
Well, ain’t that embarrassin’? Yes, butter. Thanks for catching the error. I have to say, how odd that I missed writing butter in both of those places. Mental block? Arteries sending a secret message to my brain “don’t eat the butter”? Posting at 3:47 AM when most normal people are asleep? Butter conspirators hacking into my blog and deleting the word “butter”? I don’t know. Tis a mystery. Thanks again.
mmmm….and I need some of these…ok, I really need to stop looking through your blog. all this food is making me hungry and sad, because I can’t have any of it right now.