Community Pick
Lemon Bars
"This recipe came from one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. It is very easy and the taste is fantastic!"
photo by laurenpie
- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Yields:
-
18-36 bars
ingredients
-
For the Crust
- 1⁄2 lb unsalted butter, at room temp.
- 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
-
For the filling
- 6 extra large eggs, at room temp
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated lemons, zest of (4 to 6 lemons)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- confectioners' sugar, for dusting
directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- For crust: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Combine flour and salt and add to the butter until just mixed.
- Dump dough onto well floured board and gather into a ball, flatten the dough w/ floured hands and press into a 9x13x2 inch baking sheet, building up a ½ inch edge on all sides.
- Chill.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned.
- Let cool on wire rack.
- Leave oven on.
- For the Filling: Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour.
- Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is set.
- Let cool to room temp.
- Cut into triangles and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
- Store in the fridge.
Questions & Replies
-
I think that this is the recipe I have used before-it's hard to tell because of the enormous ad for whole foods!. -
DOES CHILL MEAN PUT IN REFRIDGERATOR? AND FOR HOW LONG?
Reviews
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These are incredible. I've made them ever since the book came out! Everyone always asks for the recipe. Follow the recipe exactly. Lemon juice from a bottle is not the same as freshly squeezed lemon juice. I tried. It sucked. It's a pain to squeeze all the lemons, but totally worth it! -
I absolutely loved this recipe. I made this last night and it turned out great. I had no problems making it. The only thing I didn't do was dump the dough onto a board since I didn't want to dirty anything else. :) So, all I did was put flour on my hands and gather it while it was still in the bowl then put in the dish and spread it out and it worked perfectly. One less thing to dirty. Anyway, they are the best! -
Absolutely the best lemon bars ever! I have used this recipe for years and I love the thick, almost custard style filling. I made them for my lemon lover husband, and found I love them, too! I have used egg substitute for 3 of the eggs without a problem. Also, have filled in with regular lemon juice if my 4-6 lemons did not give enough juice. Although, I would never substitute all bottled lemon juice! -
A very simple recipe, and the lemon filling tastes so fresh and delicious. I did have trouble with the crust. I wasn't sure if the ingredient list was exactly right, or if I did something wrong. It did not come together in a ball - it was still like the powdery pea stage of a pie crust before you add water. So, I added some water and I was able to gather in a ball to get it into the pan to press into a crust, but it didn't seem right. It tasted fine in the final product, though, and the lemon filling is outstanding. -
I love lemon or lime bars and I've made many thanks to my neighbor's Meyer lemon tree - what a prolific producer of a tree. I like the curd in this recipe, nice and tart. However, I thought the crust was a little bit complicated to make and my curst stuck to the pan. There's a "Very Tangy Lime/Lemon Bars" recipe here on this site that has the same curd but an easier butter short bread crust (more tender) and easier to make. Thank you and I'm enjoying the rest of this pan of lemon bars.
see 18 more reviews
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
The Giggle Box
United States
When I was 10 I discovered the joy of cooking on the back of a Nestle Toll house Chocolate Chip bag. It was the first recipe I ever made. I had a blast and it was a lot of fun to cook something that everyone loved. To this day, baking is one of my favorite things to do, and it shows! (that explains the lack of a picture, hehe)
On the non-cooking front, I lead a fairly normal life. For the past four and half years I have been able to stay home with my DD and be a full time mom (is there any other kind?).
In college I had a wonderful professor, Dr. Mark Woodhouse (his books are fascinating BTW) and I began my study of the paranormal, conspiracy theory, and metaphysics. I can honestly say it changed my life. I earned my degree in Philosophy with a minor in Religion and English.
For those of you who are interested in Astrology, I am a Pisces Dragon. A great book (did I mention that I like to read a lot?) is The New Astrology by Suzanne White. She actually sums up my life very well when she says: "Pisceans born in Dragon years will be touchy and argumentative until they finally stop trying to prove themselves. Then they will become effecient in a chosen profession, stay in a pleasant rut, and cruise around all day dreaming about what to make for dinner."
