Lemon Shortbread Squares Food

LEMON SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts. Gradually add flour. Mix until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Stir in lemon zest if desired. , Press into an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Score with a sharp knife into 16 squares. Prick each square twice with a fork. Sprinkle with pecans; press firmly into dough. , Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and pecans are toasted. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut along scored lines. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

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.

LEMON SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Make Classic Shortbread dough, beating 1 teaspoon lemon zest with the butter. Mix 2 cups confectioners' sugar with the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Spread over the finished shortbread and sprinkle with yellow decorating sugar. Slice into squares.

LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Lightly brush a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter. Beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and mix just until combined. Evenly press the dough into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool.
• For the filling: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, granulated sugar, flour, salt, eggs and yolks in a large bowl until thick and light. Lightly whisk in the citrus juices. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until set but still loose in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Cut into 2-inch squares and just before serving, dust generously with confectioners' sugar.

BEST LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Process 2 cups flour, butter, and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the crust are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool crust to room temperature.
• Beat white sugar, eggs, 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice, baking powder, and lemon zest together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy; pour onto the cooled crust.
• Bake in the oven until custard is set, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool lemon squares completely; dust the top with more 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.

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.

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.

SOUR CREAM LEMON SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For Crust:.
• In food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Add in butter (chilled cut into several pieces) and pulse until mixture is crumbly (with pea size chunks of butter remaining). Press evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan and bake for 20 minutes, until slightly golden at the corners.
• While crust is baking: prepare filling, beat together all filling ingredients until smooth. When crust comes out of oven, pour on the filling while crust is hot and then return pan to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until set and lightly browned at the corners. Set pan on wire rack and cool completely.
• Makes about 16 bars.

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.)