Monday, April 26, 2010

Lemon Bars

Adapted from my downstairs friend Sara’s family recipe
Makes 24 2-inch bars

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For the crust:
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the butter, sugar and flour in a medium mixing bowl and mix well to combine, with a rubber spatula. (The dough will resemble fine sand, and will hold together a bit if you squeeze it between your fingers.) Pour the dough mixture into a 9x13-inch pan.  Press evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. 

For the lemon filling
:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
powdered sugar, for dusting

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking powder, and set aside.  Crack the eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl, and whisk.  Add the sugar and mix to combine.  Add the lemon juice and mix to combine.  Add the flour-baking powder mixture and mix to combine.  Pour this mixture over the cooled crust.  Bake at 35o°F until the center is set, about 25-30 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. 

Trim about 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch around all four borders.  (Another treat for you, and kitchen-lingering loved ones.)  Slice the center area into 24 2-inch square bars, 4 rows by 6 columns.  Like all bar-variety deserts, getting these out of the pan can be the bane of my existence!  But once you get the first square out, the rest is more-or-less smooth sailing.  Using a sturdy metal spatula helps a lot. 

Right before serving, dust with powdered sugar.  Don’t do this too soon, or the sugar will dissolve into the lemon mixture, and it won’t look as pretty.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

 

SERVED AT THIS DINNER PARTY

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