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The Best Easy Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust Recipe

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5 from 1 review

These are The Best Lemon Bars according to my beloved granny and I can't disagree! A tart, smooth filling on top of a tender, buttery shortbread crust - nothing better!

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 8 ounces (2 standard sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

  • 6 eggs
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • zest of one lemon (zest it before you juice it!)
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Butter a 9x13x2 inch baking pan, or spray generously with cooking spray. For extra safety, line the pan with parchment paper (butter or spray the paper too!) so that the edges hang over each side. This will help lift the bars out later. The filling can get sticky, so the buttering and spraying is really important, even if you have a non-stick pan.
  3. Place all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times until combined. You will have a dry, crumbly mixture. It won't come together like a dough, but don't worry.
  4. Dump this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Gently even out the mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of the pan.
  5. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until just beginning to brown around the edges.
  6. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling:
  7. Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to completely combine.
  8. When the crust is done, pour over filling and return to oven for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is set.
  9. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. You can also refrigerate them overnight, which makes them even easier to slice. Either way, when ready to slice, slide a thin knife around the edges to make sure the bars are loose, and if you've used parchment you should be able to lift them out in one piece. Place on a cutting board and slice into bars, squares, or triangles. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and enjoy!

Find it online: https://wildthistlekitchen.com/easy-lemon-bars/