Ingredients

  • 'm ashamed to admit it but I am a lemon bar snob. I'm not proud of it. Well, maybe the word snob is a bit harsh. Let's just say that I have very strong preferences when it comes to lemon bars. shopping list
  • I prefer a delicate, buttery crust with a slight "snap" to it. And the crust should never be more than half the overall height of the lemon bar. I don't want to chew endlessly on an overly thick and, inevitably, tough crust. Or even worse, mash my way through the gummy mess of an underdone crust. shopping list
  • I prefer a dominant lemon flavor untainted by the milkiness of cream, evaporated or condensed milk. It should be just tart enough to make my mouth pucker a teeny bit. Don't get me wrong. A creamy lemon confection has its place in my dessert kingdom, but not in the form of lemon bars. Sorry, milk, but tart is king. shopping list
  • I prefer my lemon filling to be smooth and soft, but not runny. When the filling hits my tongue it should be luscious. Overcooking the filling will turn the lemon bar into a sponge. No one wants to eat a lemon flavored sponge, least of all me. shopping list
  • I prefer my lemon bars dusted with confectioners' sugar. But not so heavily dusted that exhaling will shower the table (or your neighbor) with sugar. shopping list
  • And finally, I prefer to eat my lemon bars with a fork. That's not snobbish, is it? shopping list

How to make it

  • Meyer Lemon Bars
  • (makes one 8-inch square pan)
  • Crust:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Filling:
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup superfine or bakers' sugar
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp finely grated meyer lemon zest*
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice*
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
  • To make crust:
  • Combine flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture is pebbly. Press evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden, about 18-20 minutes. Set aside crust.
  • To make filling:
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in lemon zest and juice until well combined. Pour over crust (it's okay if crust is still hot). Bake until filling is just set, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

Reviews & Comments 11

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  • WSIMS1492 10 years ago
    OMG Bakingsburning. You are right about this being word for work on http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/2006/11/luscious-lemon-bars.html .tsk...tsk...tsk
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    " It was excellent "
    pamelynt ate it and said...
    I made these with a gluten free baking mix for the crust, and although the crust didn't brown perfectly, the taste was amazing. And I agree....tart over sweet every time. :-) Thanks for a great, easy, delicious lemon bar recipe!
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  • lemonbar 13 years ago
    I too, am a fan of the tart lemon bar, so I gave your recipe a go tonight.
    I had some just the other night at a party that seemed to be more like a buttery sugar bar barely passed through a mist of lemon.
    Not so nice.
    Anyway, I was actually sort of surprised at the large amount of sugar in the filling, especially given that the Meyer does not lead with its tartness
    As anticipated, the filling didn't really have enough lemon forward for me, so I added the juice of another 2 Meyer's, and one regular lemon.
    That was close, but, I could have even gone with more!
    Perhaps a tad less sugar, or maybe a balanced mix of Meyer's and traditional lemons.
    As wonderful as the Meyer is, it just doesn't have the twang of a traditional lemon, and that is what you need to balance the buttery richness of the crust, and of the sweetness of the filling.
    Thanks for the recipe.
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  • bakingsburning 13 years ago
    Word for word.... http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/2006/11/luscious-lemon-bars.html
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    " It was excellent "
    momo_55grandma ate it and said...
    great lemon Bar thanks
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    " It was excellent "
    helewes ate it and said...
    These were a big hit.
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  • midgelet 16 years ago
    Grear recipe, I grown the dwarf meyer lemons at home !
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  • krumkake 16 years ago
    YES to the preferences, and NO to the snob reference...just good taste - I'm salivating!
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    " It was excellent "
    marriage ate it and said...
    By the time I got done reading my mouth was watering. Nicely done. You got my 5, thank you for sharing
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
    " It was excellent "
    minitindel ate it and said...
    love lemon ......the more tart they are the better thanks
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    " It was excellent "
    pink ate it and said...
    Love Meyer Lemons! *wink*
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    " It was excellent "
    sunny ate it and said...
    I agree with your preferences and look forward to trying these. = )
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