We got together with some friends last night, and I wanted to bring a sweet treat. With such warm, cheerful weather, I thought that lemon bars would radiate the same sunshiny vibe of the day. And with a name like "melting moments," I'm sure that those of you in the North could almost forget about the snow after taking a bite of one of these lovelies.
Luscious Lemon Melting Moments
(click here to print)
Crust:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened (no substitutes)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
Lemon Filling:
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups white sugar
2 T. grated lemon zest (4-6 lemons, depending on size)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (fresh lemons make a huge difference in flavor)
3/4 cup flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch pan generously.
Cream the butter, then add sugar and beat with an electric mixter until light. Add flour and salt and mix on low (so you don't get a flour shower!) just until combined. The dough will be somewhat crumbly.
Empty the dough onto a floured cloth or board and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk with hands and then press it into the pan, building up the edges slightly. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly golden on top and around the edges.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs until light. Add sugar, zest, lemon juice, and flour. Mix well. Pour over the hot crust and return to the oven for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
For easier cutting, refrigerate the bars for about an hour, then cut into pieces. Dust with powdered sugar. I think these taste best cold, like little lemon pies. They have a generous amount of the smooth, tart filling. Yum!
Lemons will yield more juice if you microwave them briefly (about 20 seconds) before you cut them. You can also roll them on the counter while applying pressure. This releases the juice from the membranes.