Louises Luscious Lemon Bars Recipes

LUSCIOUS LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking sheet (otherwise known as a quarter sheet pan) with some cooking spray.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or you can use a food processor), cream your butter with the sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Turn the mixer speed to low, add the flour into your butter and mix until just incorporated. (Make sure not to over-mix.) Turn the dough onto the baking sheet, flour your hands and press it out evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Pop in the fridge for an hour (or overnight) to chill.
• Pop the crust in the oven and bake until a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the filling: While the crust is cooling, make your filling. Crack your eggs into a large bowl and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Whisk until combined. Pour into the crust and spread evenly. Put back in the oven and bake until the filling is completely set, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar and then cut into 20 to 24 squares to serve. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
• Stir together 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.
• Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth; whisk in granulated sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir together baking powder and remaining 1/4 cup flour; whisk into egg mixture. Pour mixture over hot baked crust.
• Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Lift from pan, using foil sides as handles. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Remove foil, and cut into bars; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

LUSCIOUS LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar with spoon until well mixed. Press in ungreased 8- or 9-inch square pan, building up 1/2-inch edges.
• Bake crust 20 minutes; remove from oven. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients except additional powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in center. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into 5 rows by 5 rows.

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• For the crust: Add the flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 times until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, about 30 times. (The dough will not come together in one mass.) Sprinkle the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and lightly pat it down. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk continuously over medium heat, occasionally scraping down the sides and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, until simmering and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and butter until combined.
• Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the crust and bake until just set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Use the foil overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Remove the foil and slice into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Firmly press mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch pan.
• Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, or til lightly browned.
• whisk eggs in a large bowl; whisk in 2 cups sugar and lemon juice. Combine remaining 1/4 cup flour and baking powder; whisk into egg mixture. Pour batter over crust.
• Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or til set. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars and sprinkle evenly with additional powdered sugar. (I use a sifter). Cut into squares. Store in fridge.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar, gradually beat in flour. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 8-in. x 4-in. 2-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325º for 14-16 minutes or until set and the edges are lightly browned.
• For filling, in a mixing bowl, beat the egg, sugar, lemon juice, flour and baking powder until frothy. Pour over warm crust. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cover a 9x13-in metal baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil (see note below). Push the foil neatly into the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from the pan). Spray the foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the flour, corn starch, salt and Confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and mix for a few seconds. Add the butter and mix to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 15 seconds. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer, building up a thin ¾-inch edge around the sides (this keeps the filling from spilling beneath the crust). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
• Bake the crust until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour. Be sure no lumps of flour remain.
• When the crust is ready, give lemon mixture a quick final stir and then pour over top. Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is set and firm. Let the bars cool on a rack to room temperature; it will take several hours.
• To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the baked square out of pan and onto a cutting board. Carefully loosen the foil from the edges of the crust, using a knife if necessary. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares or triangles. Use a fine sieve to dust the squares with Confectioners' sugar. Store the bars in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve chilled or room temperature.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, freeze the batch whole, covered tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Before serving, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cut the bars and then sprinkle with Confectioners' sugar before serving.
• Note: Be sure to use heavy-duty aluminum foil; regular aluminum foil may stick. Parchment paper can also be used to line the pan.

LOUISE'S LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion until crumbly. Firmly press mixture into a lightly greased 13"x9" pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl; whisk in 2 cups sugar and lemon juice. Combine remaining 1/4 cup flour and baking powder; whisk into egg mixture. Pour over crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Let cool COMPLETELY on a wire rack. Cut into bars, and sprinkle evenly with additional powdered sugar.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Fit an 8-inch by 16-inch piece of heavy-duty foil across pan bottom and up the 2 sides as foil overhangs to pull bars from the pan. Spray foil with vegetable cooking spray.
• Mix flour, salt, confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl; stir in butter to form dough. Press dough into pan bottom (the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in flour helps). Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes.
• While pastry bakes, whisk eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl.
• Remove pan from oven. Add lemon mixture and continue to bake until just set, about 20 minutes longer; let cool in pan for a few minutes and then using foil handles, pull bars from pan and set on a wire rack. Cool until room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.