Lemon Bars

Golden sweet-tart lemon bars are like squares of sunshine. While perhaps they’re not as common as their chocolaty cousin, the brownie, these lemon squares have been a classic treat for decades. No one really knows where the confection originated, but lemon bar recipes started appearing in newspapers and cookbooks sometime in the middle of the 20th century. This lemon dessert starts with a buttery shortbread crust that is prebaked but still warm when the simple lemon filling is poured on top. Once baked and cooled, the filling has a tender, sticky texture similar to lemon curd, but fortified with a bit of flour to keep it stable.

The strength of the lemon flavor in your bars will depend on what kind of lemons you use. The fruits marked “lemon” in the supermarket are Eureka or Lisbon lemons, but you could also try using sweeter Meyer lemons if you prefer a less tart dessert. You could also add a bit of lemon zest to your filling or to the crust to bump up the citrusy flavor.

Because both the shortbread crust and the lemon filling have delicate textures, you’ll want to handle these treats gently. Line your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some of the paper sticking out on the sides to serve as handles (you can secure the paper in place with binder clips). Let everything cool to room temperature before slicing. These bars are good make-ahead treats; just wait until right before serving to dust them with powdered sugar so it doesn’t melt into the lemony topping and disappear.

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