My Favourite Cakes and Bakes
I had a bite of these lemon bars and exclaimed “omg, they are too sugary”. Later my daughter tried one, and said “Mum they are so sugary!’ but guess what? somehow, that sugar is so nice, tangy and addictive. We nibbled and nibbled all day long and soon the tray was empty. I haven’t made them again because I know I’ll not stop eating until they’re gone. Give them a try if you can.
Ingredients for the base
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) ten minutes before baking. Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch tin (pan) with overhanging parchment. Sift or whisk flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Rub in the butter or blend in a processor
until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Pat crumbly mixture into the bottom of the pan evenly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, remove from oven and prepare filling while crust is cooling.
For the filling: whisk together the sugar, flour, eggs, lemon juice and zest (rind) until combined (note it will be lumpy, but will smooth out during baking)
Pour filling over crust. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the sides begin to loosen from the pan.
Allow to cool, then sift icing (confectioners) sugar over on top and cut into bars. Store, covered with cling film, in fridge for up to 5 days.
I forgot to dust them with confectioners sugar, but all the same they tasted awesome
Lemon Bars
Preparation time: 30 minutes; Baking time: 30-35 minutes; Makes: 15-18 slices
Ingredients for the Crust
- 250g (2 cups, 8.8oz) all-purpose flour
- 125g sugar (½ cup, 4.4oz )
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 225g (2 sticks, 8oz, 15tbsp ) butter, softened
Ingredients for the Topping
- 375g (1½ cups, 13oz ) sugar
- 40g (4 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 60ml (¼ cup) lemon juice
- Zest or rind of 1 lemon
- Icing (confectioners) sugar to top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 (350F) ten minutes before baking. Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch tin (pan) with overhanging parchment.
- Sift or whisk flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (or blend in a processor). Pat the crumbly mixture into the bottom of the pan evenly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, remove from oven and prepare filling while crust is cooling.
- For the filling: whisk together the sugar, flour, eggs, lemon juice and zest (rind) until combined (note it will be lumpy, but will smooth out during baking)
- Pour filling over crust
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the sides begin to loosen from the pan.
- Allow to cool, then sift icing (confectioners) sugar over on top and cut into bars. Store in fridge for up to 5 days.
- Cup measures based on American cup of 240ml (125g flour). Australian cup = 250ml (150g flour).
Points to Note
- Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperature depending on your oven. I baked the lemon bars at 350ºF (175ºC) 20 minutes (the sides were a little brown).
- For cup measures: spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need.
myfavouritepastime.com
Lovely! My mom would go nuts for these. She loves baked goods that star lemon. Very nice! 🙂
Thank you, Anita. Glad to know your mum would love the bars. Have a great week!
Liz
Thank you, Liz! Hope your week is going well so far too!
Well we have a grey and rainy day today but the temperatures are great, so am happy. I hope you’re okay too. Thanks so much for visiting my blog several times. Wish you the best of this week!
Liz
It’s been rainy here too but it’s helping to wash away all the snow and grit. Spring is so close! I can’t wait, ha ha. Reading your blog is a pleasure 😉
Thank you, Anita. I’m glad the snow on my street is long gone. Such a pleasure to see the grass again and to know spring is just round the corner. What a great relief. Been browsing your blog too. I especially like the lemon cardamon shortbread with white chocolate. I’m thinking of making it! Thanks!
Liz
Oh wonderful! Another lemony recipe, ha ha. If you do please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I shall definitely let you know. Best regards!
Liz
These look very lemony – full of great flavor!
Yes, they are, Aunt Juju.
Have a pleasant day!
liz
Lemon bars like yours here are the best, Liz, but, like you, I find them addictive. I have to make them and then give them away or I will certainly eat the entire batch within 24 hours. They should come with a “Stop!” button or something. 🙂
Ha ha John. Unless that stop button is virtually transporting them to another world, I will just continue eating. I think, though, it’s a good idea to give some away, immediately. I certainly over ate them the last time I made them!
Liz
I love lemon and these bars look delicious!
Thank you. I love lemon too!
Liz
Now THAT’S lemon! WOW!!!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
Oh yes sweet, crunchy-gooey and addictive.
Virtual Hugs,
Liz
These bars were really popular quite a while ago around ‘the parts. They were, at that time, Lemon Lush Bars. They are, as you know, delicious!!! ; o ) Great job Liz!!
Thanks, Cecile. I am en train de cooking dinner. Smells good. Meatballs in white wine sauce and some basmati rice!
Liz
Again… I wished you live near me!!!
Ha ha! just move to Canada. After all you used to live in Montreal!
Liz
Yup – good point! In fact, we lived in Montreal AND St. Antoine de Tilly – about a half hour away from Quebec City – that’s where our farm was.
I look forward to! Enjoy the rest of the week!
Liz
You too – have a great ‘rest of the week’. Heading up to New Hampshire in the morning to start the Detox I told you about (I believe) with my cousin who is a nutritionist. The trip will take about 2 1/2 hours. After I see her I’m heading over to Hampton Beach, NH where another cousin has a lovely condo. I’m still up and it’ll be 1:00 am before I get into bed because I wanted to prepare the Shepherds Potato Skins I told you about. I just loaded the dishwasher and I’m going to bed… Am I packed… hell no… that would be far too organized… ; o )
You are funny. I hope to hear more about the detox when you come back, and the exciting visit at Hampton Beach. Hope you were able to prepare the shepherds potato skins. Have a pleasant trip.
Liz
I had a really nice time with both my cousin, the nutritionist, and my other cousin – the couple bought a place last spring at Hampton Beach. Being off-season is was nice and quite there!!)
I felt great at the beach… no spring allergies… and now that I’m back home… “Not So Much”.. Gonna load up with some meds and take a nap ’cause I’m supposed to head out into the real countryside of Massachusetts – almost to the Vermont border.
I’ll tell you about that next time – it should be fun!! (Last day before The Big Detox…….)
Hope you’re having a great weekend so far !! ; o )
I had a lovely weekend. I’m glad to hear you’re now back home. I love the countryside, too. I wish you all the best with the Big Detox. Take care!
Liz
I don’t know if I have ever met a dessert that was too sweet for me! 🙂 These look wonderful. I would love to try them. Some lemon bars are creamy, and I like your kind better – a very clean lemon layer.
They were very very tasty albeit am watching my sugar intake. They’re on my list of once in a while desserts!
Liz
I use the exact same recipe! Except I leave out the lemon zest which I can’t stand in any recipe. Sometime I even use bottled ReaLemon juice and we all eat it up! But let me suggest you add an extra 1/4 cup flour to the crust.
Ok next time I try it, I shall remember to add an extra 1/4 cup of flour. Thank you for letting me know! Have a pleasant week!
Liz
Lemon bars are one of my weaknesses! These look fantastic and far too dangerous for me. Lemon bars are something I’m likely to get at a bakery since I know I’ll only have the one!
I know exactly what you mean. I haven’t made them again. I plan to make them when I have a houseful of visitors!
Liz
Omg so delish!
Thanks!
Liz
My gramma had a sweet tooth. Now I’m the gramma and I think I inherited it! She used to make all sorts of bars and cookies and puddings and cakes but I think the lemon bars were always my favorite and I often make them. Sometimes they turn out ok and other times, not so ok! I’m definitely going to try these ones Liz! They look fabulous and rich and creamy lemony! I don’t think that is a word!!! I think comfort foods are something we always crave in the winter time to beat the cold and greyness that we have here on the coast! This morning there is fresh snow on the mountain behind me. Good for the upcoming summer moisture but I hope it stays up there and doesn’t decide to show us winter is still with us, like it or not. This morning I pretended I was still in Hawaii….I had half a papaya with my breakfast but then I had to open my eyes! Oh well, soon it will be spring. Enjoy your day Liz!
The lemon bars are certainly something to dream about, but to put aside if you’re counting sugar calories.
Haha that’s a good one. I love papaya but never seem to get a good tasting one around here so I stopped buying and stopped fretting about missing papaya.
I can’t wait for spring. The bit I don’t like now is gardening because I can’t garden and blog at the same time. Have a lovely week!
Liz
I love ANYTHING lemon!! Will give these a try next week!
Me too! Lemon is a favourite ingredient of mine!
Liz
They look yummy!
Thank you, Stephanae
Liz
You’re welcome 😀