It had been such a long time since I last cooked something from one of my cookbooks! I’d really missed leafing through the pages, choosing a recipe, planning it and finally getting into the kitchen to try it.
A few days ago, I finally had the time to do just that, and it felt wonderful.
The photo of these lemon bars was a little hit on my Instagram account (by my standards, at least!), and several people asked me for the recipe. So, here it is!
The recipe comes from New York cult recipes, a lovely little cookbook packed with delicious sweet treats. I’ve tried several recipes from it, and the instructions have always been clear and straightforward, with results that live up to expectations. Definitely a little book worth recommending!
What puzzled me at first about these lemon squares was the filling. You don’t cook the lemon custard in a saucepan: you simply whisk all the ingredients together with a fork, pour the mixture over the baked crust and return everything to the oven.
Could it get any easier?
I also decided to freeze a few pieces without the icing sugar on top, just for the sake of food blogging, of course. I went to defrost one to see how well it had kept…
Well, I confess I ate it while it was still half frozen, and it was delicious! Served thoroughly chilled, these lemon bars might just become my favourite summer dessert.
Lemon Bars Recipe
These easy lemon bars have a buttery, crumbly shortbread base topped with a tangy lemon filling. The filling is whisked together in minutes and baked directly over the hot crust, making this a wonderfully simple dessert for anyone who loves fresh citrus flavours.
Yield: 12 lemon bars
Servings: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: Approximately 50 minutes, plus cooling time
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust
150 g all-purpose flour
30 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon fine salt
125 g butter, cut into cubes
For the lemon filling
150 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
250 g granulated sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 eggs
For serving
Icing sugar, for dusting
Method
Prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a bowl, combine the flour, icing sugar, cornstarch, salt and cubed butter. Rub the ingredients together until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.
Line a square or rectangular baking pan, approximately 25 × 25 cm, with parchment paper. Tip the mixture into the pan and press it down lightly to form an even layer.
Bake until the crust is golden. The original recipe doesn't specify an exact baking time, so keep an eye on it. Remove the pan from the oven but leave the oven on.
Make the lemon filling. In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, lemon zest and flour until the mixture is smooth and all the ingredients are well combined.
Pour the lemon mixture over the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and reduce the temperature to 150°C (300°F).
Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the lemon filling has set and is firm.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Dust generously with icing sugar and cut into approximately 12 squares.
Recipe Notes
Lemon juice: The original recipe called for 180 ml of lemon juice, but I used 150 ml. This is the quantity I recommend for my version.
Don't skip the cooling: Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting them so the lemon layer has time to set properly.
Freezing: I tested freezing some pieces without the icing sugar and enjoyed them even while partially frozen. For the best texture, thaw them in the refrigerator or let them soften slightly before serving.
Serving: Dust with icing sugar just before serving for a simple, classic finish.
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