Lemon Square Recipe
The first time I made lemon squares was right after high school when I lived for awhile in Berkeley. Our neighbor had a lemon tree that grew over the fence until it hung over the yard of my apartment building. I would take a couple lemons to make lemon squares using the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. To this day, I still use a variation of that recipe to make lemon squares. I’ve once tried to make lemon squares from a box, and let me tell you, it tasted absolutely gross and fake to me. The lesson from that is: always use fresh lemons! My family now lives in a house that has a lemon tree in the backyard and it’s been producing lemons like crazy. Sometimes they send me home with a huge paper bag full of them just so they don’t go to waste. To say the least, I’ve been trying to incorporate lemons into a lot of the dishes I make. However, I always come back to this classic recipe. Enjoy!
Photo from marthastewart.com
Note: This recipe is doubled to make thicker bars, which is what I like personally. If you like thinner ones then halve the amount of each ingredient and reduce the amount of cooking time to 35 minutes (15 mins for crust, 20 mins for crust & filling) at 350℉.
Lemons Bars (adapted from the BH&G New Cookbook)
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 325℉. In a large bowl, beat softened butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar; beat until combined. Mix in the 2 cups flour until crumbly. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 7 x 11 inch baking pan (you can also use a 9 x9 inch pan). Bake for about 18-20 mins or until golden.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and baking powder. Beat 2 minutes or until combined.
Pour filling over baked crust. Continue baking 35-40 minutes or until the center is set (test by jiggling the pan a little and/or inserting a toothpick into the center). Cool for about an hour. Sift powdered sugar over the top and cut into squares or bars to your desire.
