Loveliest Lemon Bars

When I think about what the perfect summer dessert is, lemon bars are the first to come to mind. Citrusy, cold, and bright; the perfect way to enjoy summer days. I like my lemon bars extra citrusy, but I used to always shy away from adding too much lemon juice to my previous bakes. Not this time! These bars are definitely much more tart than sweet! Fun fact: I made these on a very cloudy day and taking a bite out of one really brightened up my day, and I hope it does the same for you when you make these!

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Ingredients

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup (110g) all purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons (15g) cornstarch

• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold

For the filling:

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cup (300g) granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon (6g) lemon zest

• 1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice

• 1/4 + 2 tablespoons (45g) all purpose flour

Directions

1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with aluminum foil. Press the foil into all corners to prevent the filling from leaking under and sticking to the pan. Spray with cooking oil and set aside.

2. Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse for about 10 seconds.

3. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add into the dry ingredients. Blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, or sand like. Pour out the coarse mixture onto the lined baking pan. Gently press down, spreading the mixture evenly and to the corners. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350F (176C). Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and bake for 15-20 minutes.

5. In the meantime, begin making the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl.

6. Remove the pan from the oven. Pour the lemon filling on top and carefully return the pan into the oven. Bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is no longer runny.

7. Once baked, allow to cool completely before cutting into squares or rectangles. I like to pop the whole pan in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to speed up the process. Plus, they are much more delicious when chilled! Optional: dust with some powdered sugar.

Enjoy, and satisfy your craving!