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I'm planning on making Lemon Bars for a friend. I've tried CI and one recipe from Baking Illustrated...they were good. Just curious to know if you had a favorite go to recipe for Lemon Bars. Thank so much!

Lu

Lu, I really like these: http://canadianbaker.blogspot.ca/2005/11/simply-lovely-lemon-squares.html although like the woman who wrote the blog I did have the filling leak under the crust once, but only once and that was when I made an almond variation of the recipe. Other times it worked perfectly. It's the recipe I make and people all seem to like it. Interestingly enough Canadian Living re-did this recipe, reducing the sugar in the filling by 1/4 cup, reducing the time to bake the shortbread crust to 25 minutes and calling them Zippy Lemon Squares. Everything else stayed the same.


The cookbook appears to be on-line here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=eqZ8momnH1gC&pg=PA371&lpg=PA371&dq=Canadian+Living+Cooks+simply+lovely+lemon+squares&source=bl&ots=VlHrCado4C&sig=dxiaLXmvojj6BjyZ0pGDmXk5E1E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=AEXFT_eVG8mw6AG8p-CvCg&ved=0CHYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

I love Lemon Bars and my favorite are Ina's. The recipe can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-bars-recipe/index.html. Or I can post the recipe for you if you'd like.

i love Alice Medrich's shortbread bars. Will try to upload her recipe or at least find you a link. Have been making them for over 12 years.
Nance

Googled it and this is the same recipe I've used for years.

Lemon Bars

These lemon bars sit on a crunchy cornmeal cookie crust and the lemon topping is almost puckery!

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour (3 ounces)
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
1 Tablespoon nonfat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup strained lemon juice ( I used my frozen Meyer lemon juice, oh so good!)
grated zest of one large lemon
1/4 cup all purpose flour
powdered sugar for dusting

1. Position the rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch baking pan with vegetable spray.

2. Make the crust. Stir the 3/4 cup flour, cornmeal, salt and baking soda together with a whisk to combine. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar and beat at high speed for about 1 minute, or until mixture begins to form a mass. Beat in the egg yolk, yogurt, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Knead the mixture briefly with your hands to mix throughly.

3. Press dough evenly into the pan and prick all over with a skewer or fork. If pan is lightweight, place on a baking sheet. Bake until brown on top, 20 -25 minutes.

4. Make Topping. Whisk eggs and the egg white with the remaining sugar until combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Whisk in the 1/4 cup flour. When crust is brown, turn oven temperature down to 300 degrees. Pour topping mixture over hot crust and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until topping barely jiggles in the center when you shake the pan gently back and forth. Cool on a rack. Chill before cutting into squares.

5. Serve cold or at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar. Best eaten the same day.

Bars may be refrigerated for 2-3 days. Do not freeze.

Yield: 16 bars. Servings Size: 1 bar

Nutritional Information

Per serving; 121 calories; 2.5 g fat; 2.4g protein; 22.6g carbs; WWPs : 2 / WWPPS:3

Recipe adapted by Alice Medrich

Thanks so much everyone! You guys are the best!

Lu

I used to make shortbread lemon bars when I was at the Biltmore. Unbelievably good. Don't have the recipe, but I'd follow the recipe Nance posted.

Amy

Ina's crust is a shortbread one as well. I love shortbread and wonder what the cornmeal brings to the plate? The Scottish shortbread recipe I learned at cookery school in England adds 1 oz. cornstarch to 8 oz. of flour. BTW, I make all my shortbread in the food processor.

After reading this thread for the last couple of days, I have had a craving for Lemon Bars. Tonight I made CI's version. This is probably the easiest CI recipe I have ever made. I didn't use my FP to make the crust, I did the grate the butter version and the crust was fine and the bars are excellent. It was nice to make something sweet that wasn't Kettle Corn. LOL

Sorry Alina, I didn't click through on the link (call me lazy). Lu, it sounds like either way you'd have a winning recipe.

Amy

Susan wants me to make Lemon Bars for the residents on Sunday. Looking at CI's recipe, it looks like it should double easily enough. Should I reduce the Salt or the Cornstarch. I don't remember the rules for doubling.

Perfect Lemon Bars (from Cooks Illustrated)
For the crust
1¾ cups (8.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra to decorate finished bars
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), at very cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
Lemon filling
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1⅓ cups (9.33 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons
⅔ cup lemon juice from 3 to 4 large lemons, strained
⅓ cup whole milk
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1. For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and line with one sheet parchment or wax paper. Dot the paper with butter, then lay a second sheet crosswise over it.
2. Pulse the flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the food processor workbowl fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. (To do this by hand, mix flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Freeze the butter and grate it on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture. Toss the butter pieces to coat. Rub pieces between your fingers for a minute, until the flour turns pale yellow and coarse.) Sprinkle the mixture into the lined pan and press firmly with fingers into an even, ¼-inch layer over the entire pan bottom and about ½-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
3. For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl, then stir in the lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt to blend well.
4. To finish the bars: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir the filling mixture to reblend; pour into the warm crust. Bake until the filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, fold the paper down, and cut into serving-size bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts, as necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars, if desired.