In celebration of SGP lemon season coming back again this Friday I’m sharing one of my favorite lemon bar recipes courtesy the Barefoot Contessa. I made this recipe in my Maison tart dish and it baked so beautifully.
Adapted from this original recipe https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/lemon-bars
For the Crust:
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose 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
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour (I add a bit more flour to make the filling a little more solid)
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust, I used my kitchenaid electric mixer with the paddle attachment and creamed the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, I combined the flour and the salt, turned the mixer on low, and added the flour salt combination to the butter and sugar mixture. Let the mixer run until all ingredients are just mixed. Don’t overmix!
Flour your countertop or a cutting board generously and take the dough to it, gathering it into a ball. Using your hands, flatten the dough and press it into your baking dish of choice. This recipe makes enough for two tart dishes or a 9x13 baking sheet. Build up the edge to about 1/2 on all sides. Chill the dough inside the baking dish in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
After chilling, bake the crust at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool, and leave your oven on.
To make the filling, whist your eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is completely set. Ina’s recipe calls for cooling to room temperature. I found this recipe to be extra gooey, so if you want less mess, chill these in the fridge overnight, then serve.
I like cutting my lemons into squares, but you can also cut them into triangles, or even easter bunnies if you’ve got cookie cutters on hand. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Enjoy!
Make sure you’re on our email list to be the first to shop lemons this season! Our first restock of the year is Friday, March 19th, 2021 at 9am CST. Mark your calendars, and set your alarms, they always go fast!
