A few weekends ago when we hosted our Spring Garden Party Picnic, I set out to make lemon bars. "Easy enough", I thought. "I've made them before and sure it takes a while, but they're delicious and a crowd pleaser." I started out with a recipe from a blog that I was really excited about. I made a few minor adjustments like using a gluten free flour for the crust instead of regular all purpose flour. And adding a smidge more lemon zest to the recipe to really get that zingy, tangy flavor.
When it came time to cut them into cute little squares, I just knew they'd be delicious. But instead, what I ended up with was crumbly, dry, almost chalky tasting lemon bars. There was no way I could serve these at our party. I was stuck!
When suddenly, I remembered that America's favorite baking blogger, Sally, might have a recipe that could save the day. And sure enough, she did.
These lemon bars from Sally's Baking Addiction are truly out of this world delicious. The crust is perfectly buttery with the right amount of bite. And the filling is soft, smooth, and the perfect balance of tart and sweet.
Sally's recipes have never steered me wrong. In fact, I wrote about her peanut butter chocolate cake recipe that I made for my friend's father in law last year! Everyone at that party was asking if I was a professional baker, and even people who claimed not to like cake, made it a point to tell me how much they loved it.
Sally is the go-to in this household. And Sally, if you're reading this, I apologize for ever deviating from your genius recipes.
Back to the lemon bars. Yet again, these were a hit. People at our party were raving about how delicious they were and kept going back for more! They're so good, and the perfect Spring treat.
Here are a few changes I made:
I used a slightly larger pan, 9.5 x 13.5 instead of 9 x 13. And it really didn't make a difference!
I added an extra half teaspoon of lemon juice to make it extra lemon-y!
I topped the lemon bars with edible flowers for a fun, Springy touch.
All in all, I highly recommend this recipe if you're looking for something easy to make for a party, a picnic, or just to enjoy for yourself.
The original recipe can be found here. But I'll copy it below as well.
Shortbread Crust
1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Lemon Filling
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 cup (240ml) lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch glass baking pan (do not use metal) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). A new step I swear by, this helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set aside until step 4.
Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice until completely combined.
Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners’ sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
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