Lemon Bars

1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Picnic at the Pond

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (153)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(153)

Cook Time:
55 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
20 squares or 40 triangles

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 55 min
Total:: 1 hr 35 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Lemon Brown Sugar Bread Pudding

Photo: Lemon Bars

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 55

View all 55 Dessert Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Lemon Bars
Natalie San Antonio, TX 11-03-2009
Flag

Deliciously Excellet!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These lemon bars are fabulous! Shared them with friends and everyone was raving about how wonderful they were - huge hit! I... love tart deserts myself, so I could not put these down. I've also made them substituting the 1/2 lb unsalted butter with 1/2 lb Crisco Butter Flavor All-Vegteble Sticks. They came out just as delicious with a little extra crumble to the crust. Something to try. Overall, best lemon bars I've ever had! Enjoy!Read more
recipe Lemon Bars
Rebecca Issaquah, WA 10-29-2009
Flag

All I can say is WOW
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for a fund raiser for work. I had never made lemon bars before so I took them in and feed them to a friend... before putting them up for sale. They were a hit!! Not all the food sold the first day, but the lemon bars were gone before anything else. Fantastic!! Keep up the good work Ina, my favorite cook of all time!!!Read more
recipe Lemon Bars
Mary Edmond, OK 10-11-2009
Flag

Indescribably good!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was the best thing I ever put in my mouth, and that's saying something. I'm not much of a baker, but I followed the... recipe and it was not hard and it was absolutely fantasic. Thanks Ina.Read more
recipe Lemon Bars
JoAnne Smyrna, GA 10-09-2009
Flag

As Ian Would Say - "FABULOUS"!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made these for an office fundraiser bake sale and got compliments all day long from my coworkers! They were a huge hit and... sold out immediately. Only downside was that I didn't make enough. Next time I will double the recipe and bake in a half sheet baking pan. I don't know why there are some negatives comments from reviewers - they came out perfect without any changes. And I had no problem with the filling being too "gummy". They were absolutely perfect. Read more
recipe Lemon Bars
laura stilwell, KS 09-29-2009
Flag

lemonishous
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

these are fabulous lemon bars. i'm not sure what one reviewer did for them to come out gummy... they have turned out perfect... every time i'm made them. my co-workers loved them too!Read more
recipe Lemon Bars
Shazia Alpharetta, GA 09-28-2009
Flag

Heaven in your mouth!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Ina you are amazing. These are so delicious!