Description
These Meyer Lemon Bars offer a delightful combination of sweetness and tanginess with a buttery shortbread crust. Perfect for gatherings or a sweet treat at home, they elevate ordinary lemon bars to something truly special!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, replace with flour if omitting)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, whisked
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- powdered sugar for dusting
- lemon slices for garnish or lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare an 8×8 inch baking pan by greasing or lining it with parchment paper.
- To make the crust, whisk together sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest. Add melted butter and vanilla, mixing until a thick dough forms. Press the dough into the prepared pan, up the sides about ¾ inch, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- For the filling, whisk together granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Then add the whisked eggs, lemon juice, and extracts, mixing until smooth.
- Once the crust is baked, lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Optionally, poke shallow holes in the baked crust with a fork to help the filling absorb.
- Pour the lemon filling over the warm crust and bake for an additional 20-22 minutes until just set and the edges are lightly browned.
- Allow to cool at room temperature, then wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight before serving.
- Slice into bars and dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with lemon slices or zest if desired.
Notes
For a more pronounced lemon flavor, add extra lemon zest to both the crust and the filling.
These bars can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator for better flavor development.
Ensure all ingredients, especially the eggs, are at room temperature for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 70mg