Lemon Bars

These are my latest discovery. Lemons Bars. Yum personified. God! I could not stop at one or two or three.

Why are these Lemon Bars so irresistible? At the bottom is a layer of super buttery shortbread and at the top is a sweet, tangy and gooey lemony topping. One bite leads to another. And another. Look.

See that oozing lemony goodness? You can't say no to that. If you love lemons, you must have one of these.

I was actually searching for a recipe on Apple Bars when I stumbled upon these Lemon Bars on Joy of Baking. They looked very simple to make and I decided to give it a go. And got myself super addicted.

You don't need to use an electric mixer at all to make these Lemon Bars. The first time I made them, I used the mixer and like I said before, I hate washing the beaters. Batter sticks to it and it is really a hassle to wash.

When I made these bars the second time, I did it with a spatula and a whisk. They turned out really well and washing up was a breeze.

There is quite a fair bit of sugar that goes into the lemon filling. I would usually adjust the sugar content by about half but this time I did not, on account of the tartness of the lemon juice. The sweetness was just right to balance off the sourness of the lemon. But please, don't eat the whole tray. Share :)

Lemon Bars

Recipe source : Adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients for the Shortbread Crust :
- 113g unsalted butter at room temperature (I used 125g)
- 30g icing sugar
- 130g plain flour
- 1/8 tsp salt

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Grease and line an 8" baking pan.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
4. Add flour and salt and beat until the dough just starts to come together.
5. Transfer dough into baking pan and press the dough onto the bottom of the baking pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just lightly brown around the edges.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

Ingredients for the Lemon Filling :
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 80ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (I used zest from 2 small lemons)
- 25g plain flour

Method :
1. In a mixing bowl beat the sugar and eggs until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
2. Add lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine.
3. Fold in the flour.
4. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or just until the filling has set.
5. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To serve :
- Cut into squares.
- Dust with icing sugar.
- Best eaten on the day it is made but can be stored in the fridge for a day or two.

Note : I find that it still tastes very good even after it is refrigerated. I take it out to room temperature before eating.