Lemon Shortbread Bars Food

LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan* with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
• Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). A new step I swear by, this helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place. Set aside until step 4.
• Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice until completely combined.
• Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
• Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners' sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Individually wrap each bar in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place into a large bag or freezer container to freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator, then dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

SHORTBREAD LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, and lemon and orange zest. Add butter; cover and process until mixture forms a ball. , Pat into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake until set and the edges are lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Pour over hot crust. Bake until set and lightly browned, 14-16 minutes. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Spread over filling. , Bake until topping is set, 7-9 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into bars just before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

LEMON BARS I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To make Bottom Layer: Mix one cup flour and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Melt the butter and stir into flour mixture.
• Press flat and even into an 8x8 inch baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
• While baking, make the top layer: Mix 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and the baking powder.
• Beat eggs and add to mixture, stirring well. Add lemon juice and rind, mix again.
• Pour over bottom layer; Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool a little, cut into squares while warm; dust with confectioners sugar.

ICED LEMON SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F (if using dark or nonstick pan, heat oven to 300°F). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup powdered sugar, the granulated sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon peel and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir in flour, cornstarch and salt. Press dough in pan with floured fingers.
• Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir all Lemon Icing ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Spread cooled bars with Lemon Icing; let stand 15 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.

CHEF JOHN'S LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack into middle position in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Place 1 cup flour and butter in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; mash mixture together until mixture looks like a slightly crumbly cookie dough.
• Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into bottom of prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust.
• Bake crust on center rack in the preheated oven until crust edges are barely golden brown, 22 minutes.
• Beat eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl; whisk in white sugar and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour lemon custard over crust.
• Bake on center rack until custard is set and top has a thin white sugary crust, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Dip knife into very hot water, run around the edge, and cut into 16 squares. Dust cookies with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar.

LEMON BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan, making sure you grease the sides of the pan very well.
• In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar until well-blended. (If the confectioner's sugar is lumpy, sift or push it through a strainer to get the lumps out.).
• Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake this (shortbread crust) in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until light.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the white sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs.
• Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
• Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

LEMON BARS WITH COCONUT SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 (second-lowest rack).
• Butter an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish.
• To make the crust: combine flour, sugar and salt in a small processor; blend for about 5 seconds.
• Add in flaked coconut and cold butter; process until mixture resembles fine meal and clumps together.
• Press the dough over the bottom of prepared pan (do not pack to tightly).
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden around the edges.
• In a medium bowl whisk together all the filling ingredients (except the powdered sugar) until smooth.
• Remove the crust from the oven and pour the filling over the hot crust.
• Return to the oven and bake until the filling begins to brown around the edges, and is JUST set and springy to the touch (around 25-30 minutes).
• Cool the lemon bars completely before slicing.
• Sift with powdered sugar.
• **NOTE** if you want to remove the bars from the baking dish before slicing them, place a piece of buttered foil on the bottom of the dish (leaving an overhang of foil) before patting in the crust mixture. When the bars are COMPLETELY cool, remove them with the foil overhang, my advise would be to place the bars in the fridge before removing them with the foil to avoid breakage of the crust.

LEMON SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor to combine. Cut in butter, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and blend until moist clumps form. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until just beginning to turn golden brown around edges, about 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven; reduce temperature to 325°F.
• Meanwhile, prepare lemon filling:
• Whisk eggs and sugar in large bowl to blend. Whisk flour and baking powder in medium bowl to blend. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, whisking to blend. Whisk in lemon juice and peel. Immediately pour lemon filling over hot crust; bake until filling is set, about 30 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• For streusel:
• Blend flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt in processor to combine. Cut in butter, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Sprinkle topping over hot lemon bars; continue to bake until just golden, about 25 minutes longer. Cool completely. Sprinkle powdered sugar over. Cut into bars. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)