when life gives you lemons, make lemon bars. this upcoming weekend i am going to a farewell party for a friend who i was told loves lemon meringue pie! so i decided to make lemon bars, as they are just as tasty (or better), but are much easier to snack on & serve. these lemon bars feature a shortbread cookie style crust with a sweet & tangy layer of lemon filling. the taste of these bring me back to making lemon meringue pie with my mom, where i would literally eat a bowl of the filling to myself:) the recipe has been adapted from smitten kitchen/barefoot contessa (so you know its good).
ingredients:
for the crust
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt
for the filling
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping tablespoon lemon zest
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup flour
directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees
staring with the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
add the vanilla, flour and pinch of salt and mix until just combined.
in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan, flatten the dough into it with your hands, building a 1/2 inch crust along the edges.
bake for 15-20 minutes (while you prepare your lemon filling).
in a separate mixing bowl begin making the filling by whisking the eggs, sugar, vanilla, zest, juice, and flour together until well combined.
when the crust is ready, pour filling over it and immediately put in back in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving!