When Life Gives You Lemons….

Tangy and sweet, I love these lemon bars for their amazing blend of flavors. The crust is the perfect bite of a sugary, buttery base, while the inside oozes with the taste of pure lemon perfection. 

Leave it to Ina to always have the best recipe! I paired these lemon bars with Alton Brown’s brownies and served them side-by-side on a platter. They are the perfect summer dessert and your guests will be nothing short of impressed.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network

What You’ll Need:

Crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 C flour
1/8 tsp salt


Filling:
6 eggs at room temp
3 C granulated sugar
2 Tbs lemon zest
1 C fresh lemon juice
1 C flour
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Celsius). Make the crust: In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light. Combine the flour and salt and slowly add to the butter until just mixed. Gather the dough onto a floured surface and make into a ball. With your hands (flour them first!) flatten the dough and press into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Leave the oven on. Let crust cool.

Make the filling: whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles or squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.