Old Fashioned Lemon Bars Food

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients and cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pasty cutter or just stir and mash with a spoon until a sandy, crumbly mixture forms. I do it by hand because it's easy, fast, and I don't have to wash out my food processor; but use one if you prefer.
• Transfer crumbly mixture to prepared pan and using your fingertips, press crumbs down to form an even flat layer of crust.
• Prick crust with a fork haphazardly in a dozen places so air and steam can escape while it bakes. If air bubbles form while baking, prick them down and return pan to oven.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crust has just barely set. It should not be golden or browned at all, it should still be white. You just want it to stick together and it doesn't need to be cooked through fully since pan is going back in the oven to bake filling.
• While crust bakes, make the filling.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, lemon juice (start with ¼ cup and increase to taste; I find that using less than ½ cup isn't intense enough, but add to taste), half-and-half, optional vanilla (I used it even though it's not traditional), optional lemon extract (I don't find it necessary and omitted it), and whisk until smooth.
• Add the flour and whisk until lumps are gone.
• Add lemon zest (add to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon but I prefer 2 teaspoons) and whisk to combine.
• Pour mixture over crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (I baked for 18), or until the top has just set and isn't jiggly in center. Some movement and looseness is normal and desired, you just don't want it liquid-like or runny; slicing into some looseness is fine, liquid is not. Top will be yellow and lemon-colored, but not browned.
• Allow bars to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
• Cover pan and refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
• Optionally, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

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

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the flour, butter and confectioners' sugar. Pat into an ungreased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat eggs. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon juice and zest; beat until frothy. Pour over the crust. Bake 25 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

OLD FASHIONED DATE NUT BARS

Steps:

• Combine filling ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes till thickened. Set aside and let cool.
• For the base, sift together dry ingredients.
• Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, and dry ingredients and walnuts. Add lemon juice and zest to moisten.
• Spread on a cookie sheet and up the sides.
• Spread cooled filling over crust.
• Combine filling ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle on top and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minute.
• Original recipe calls for the bars to be baked on a cookie sheet pan. We like them thicker, so I put them in a 9 X 13 cake pan.
• Cool and cut unto bars.
• To serve sprinkle liberally with 10X sugar.

CLASSIC LEMON BARS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes; gradually beat in flour until blended. , Press into an ungreased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest and baking powder until frothy. Pour over crust. , Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until set and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.