I know there are countless recipes out there for lemon bars; however, I have yet to find one that I really, really enjoy. Most lemon bars that I have encountered are either too lemony, too sweet or have a strange consistency. Recently, my friend Julia kindly shared her recipe for lemon bars. Let me tell you… these lemon bars are spot on in flavor and consistency AND they couldn’t be easier to make! Continue reading for the recipe.
Julia’s Lemon Bars
Via Julia’s refrigerator door.
Shortbread crust:
1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
Lemon filling:
4 eggs
6 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons lemon zest
¼ cup flour
2 cups granulated sugar
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place one rack in the middle of the oven.
In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and 2 cups flour. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated (should resemble wet sand). Press mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly whisk together eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Add ¼ cup flour and 2 cups granulated sugar, whisking to combine. After 15 minutes, remove the baked crust from the oven. Immediately pour the egg-lemon mixture on to the hot crust. Return the baking dish to the oven for an additional 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Finish by cutting into bars and top with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Makes 12 – 16 lemon bars.
I am with you…finding a great lemon bar is tough. I don’t like them too sweet either. I must try your recipe!
@Mrs. B Let me know what you think! Thanks.
Wow! Those looks really good! Fabulous pictures as always!
Lemon is one of my TOP favorite ingredients! These look great and I’m saving this recipe.
Consider yourself buzzed!
See my lemon fudge I made: http://drinkwaterkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/08/creamy-lemon-fudge.html
Stunning photos. Your friend Julia is so sweet to share the recipe with you, and probably so proud of the beautiful bars you made with it!
I posted them 2 weeks ago,yet ,yours look prettier.:)
))
nice post
I don’t like a lot of sweets, but I do like a good lemon bar! Thank you for sharing!
Oh, man! You don’t even have to make the lemon curd first! How easy is THAT?
I for one love lemon desserts (a lemon dessert is, in fact, my favourite; love chocolate but chocolate is a meal unto itself) and will definitely be making this.
These lemon bars sound great! I’m always looking for a good recipe for these–they’re my mom’s favorite. Yours look delicious!
These bars would be perfect to make for LIVESTRONG DAY, 2010, A Taste of Yellow. Check it out at
winos and Foodies, http://www.winosandfoodies.com. Your pics are wonderful!
I’ve never mastered lemon bars – ashamed to say.Love the shortbread crust on these. And they look tart-sweet,, brilliantly lemony!
I’ve definitely got a few weeks of summer weather left in Phoenix to truly enjoy these lemon bars
that is simply luscious. it looks totally delicious!
I totally agree with you, lemon bars can be tricky but these look tasty!
My friend Kathy and I have coincidentally come across this recipe at the same time and she has laid out a challenge to compare results.
I MUST make these — soon!
@Vibey I know! I remember calling up my friend Julia the morning I made these to ask her if I needed to cook the curd first. She was like “no.” So easy!
@Lee Ann Foster Excellent! Please share the results
Julia always gets it right!
Thanks for the link and they look fabulous! The crust is exactly the same as mine but I added a little cornstarch so it’s a little softer/flakier and then the filling ratio is very similar. Yours is all 2x the quantity as mine b/c I baked in an 8×8 pan but overall similar! Mine use a bit more zest and juice but I wish I had seen this recipe a long time ago – would have made my life easier