The Sunshine in My Kitchen

Bright, creamy, and luscious, these lemon bars are the polar opposite to the rain drumming on my roof and the thunder rattling the dishes in my sink. Yes, thunderstorms. In May. I double-checked three different calendars to make sure I had the date right. With this unseasonably frigid rain and a broken heater, I used the excuse of baking to turn on the oven, heat up the house, and pretend it was actually spring by making this sunny batch of lemon bars.  

 

The lemons came from my parents’ backyard, and they’re sweeter than most store-bought varieties. With just a pinch of sugar, the fresh lemon juice practically tastes like lemonade! Well, okay, not quite… But they made a deliciously sweet lemon bar that had everybody licking their fingers.

 

 

Lemon Bars

modified from CL’s Easy Lemon Squares

makes 16-20

Although the original recipe called for baking the crust for 15 min, this resulted in a fine, crumbly powder when slicing the bars. By cutting that time in half, it results in a tender shortbread crust. Sift powdered sugar on top of the bars for an extra sweet treat.

crust

¼ c. sugar

3 tbsp butter, softened

1 c. flour

 

lemon topping

3 eggs

¾ c. sugar

zest from 1 large lemon

juice from 1 large lemon (or 1 medium and 1 small)

3 tbsp flour

½ tsp baking powder

⅛ tsp salt

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray an 8×8” pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. To prepare the crust, cream butter and ¼ c. sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour and mix until it resembles fine crumbs. Gently press into the prepared pan and bake for 8 min. Remove from the oven and allow pan to cool on a wire rack.
3. To prepare the topping, beat eggs in a large bowl until foamy. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour over the partially baked crust, and bake for 20-25 min, or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

 

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