Ingredients
Method
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, cream together the one cup of flour, softened butter, and the 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake this for about 18 to 20 minutes.
- While the crust is in the oven, get your lemons ready. Use a fine grater to take just the yellow skin off the lemon. If you use bottled lemon juice, you lose the natural oils that give the bars their scent. Squeeze the juice and set it aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and the two tablespoons of flour. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice, zest, and salt.
- Once the crust is done, take it out of the oven. While the crust is still hot, pour the lemon mixture directly over it. If the crust cools down too much, the lemon layer might slide off when you try to eat the bars later.
- Slide the pan back into the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes. You are looking for the edges to be set and the center to have just a tiny bit of jiggle, like firm gelatin.
- You must let the bars cool to room temperature on the counter. Once they are cool, put them in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Notes
A common mistake is using a metal pan that isn’t lined. Lemon juice is acidic, and it can sometimes react with aluminum or tin pans, giving your bars a slight metallic taste. To avoid this, you can line your pan with parchment paper.