The Most-Lemony Lemon Bar of All Time
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 24 bars
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 24 servings
- Calories
- 184
- Total Fat
- 7
- Saturated Fat
- 4
- Carbohydrates
- 29
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 18
- Protein
- 3
- Cholesterol
- 58
- Sodium
- 38
- Total: 3 hr 45 min (includes cooling and chilling time)
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pan
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 cup fresh lemon juice, strained (from about 8 lemons)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (see Cook's Note)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
4 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
8 gummy candy lemon slices, cut into thirds
Directions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Grease the foil and dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
- To make the crust, pulse the zest with 1/3 cup of the sugar in a food processor until the sugar is yellow and sandy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the butter, cornstarch and salt and pulse until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden at the edges and pale golden in the center, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. To make the filling, whisk the eggs and egg yolks with the remaining 1 2/3 cups sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup flour in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup lemon juice.
- Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake until the filling is just set, about 30 minutes.
- Cool the lemon bars on a wire rack, 30 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered until firm, at least 1 hour. Lift the bars out of the pan using the foil. Peel off the foil and cut into 24 bars. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Place a piece of gummy lemon candy on top of each square and serve.
Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)