Luscious Lemon Bars

Luscious Lemon Bars

adapted from Once Upon a Chef

The Crust

94 g. unbleached flour (3/4 c.)
31 g. arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) (1/4 c.)
1/2 t. salt
58 g. powdered sugar (1/2 c.)
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2" pieces

Line a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.  Push the foil into all of the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all of the edges. (the overhang will make removing the cooked bars from the pan so easy).   Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray,  or grease it with butter.

Put the flour, arrowroot starch or cornstarch, powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Add the steel blade attachment and pulse for a few seconds.. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.  Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer, building up a thin edge around the sides to keep the filling from oozing under the crust.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Be sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350.  Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Lemon Topping

3 large eggs
300 g. raw cane sugar (1 1/2 c.)
2 T. lemon zest
5 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
 25 g. unbleached flour (3 T.)

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice zest and flour together.  When the crust is baked, give the lemon mixture a final whisk and gently pour over the top of the crust.  Return the pan to the oven immediately and bake another 20-25 minutes or until the topping is set and firm.  Let cool on a rack to room temperature, about 45-60 minutes, and then cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold.  The bars will cut more easily when cold.

To serve, using the foil overhang, lift the baked lemon bard out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Loosen the foil from the edges of the crust and remove.  Using a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter), trim the edges off (if desired), then cut into 2" squares.  Use a fine sieve to dust the squares with powdered sugar.  Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

These are not super sweet - they have a nice tartness to them.  I prefer a slighly tart lemon bar - SO GOOD!!









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