When thinking of what you would like to bring as a dessert to a picnic … a lemon bar is a great idea. What makes lemon bars so popular is that the crust is like a Scottish shortbread and the filling is a lemon custard. American lemon bars are a similar taste to the British lemon tart or French tarte au citron. Only this version is much easier to make. While Betty Crocker was never a real person, we have to give credit to the Betty Crocker research and development kitchen. That is where the lemon bar mix was developed in 1963. But the mix includes some artificial ingredients. This classic Easy Lemon Bar recipe uses real lemon juice and just five ingredients. For ideas about juicing lemons, be sure to see my Citrus category under Great Tools. This delicious dessert is good for a week in the refrigerator if it even lasts that long!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Incorporate the butter, sugar and flour for the crust for about 30 seconds. You can do this by hand or use a food processor with the dough blade. Line an 8 inch by 8-inch pan with parchment paper for a thicker lemon bar. If you prefer a thinner lemon bar, use a 9 inch by 9-inch pan. Press the crust into the lined pan and bake for 25 minutes. The crust should not be browned as it is a shortbread. Combine ingredients for the filling and whisk well. Let the filling mixture sit for at least 15 minutes while crust is baking. Cool the crust. Before pouring filling over crust… whisk well to make sure sugar is well mixed. Add the filling and bake for 22 minutes. The top should be golden.
Allow to cool on counter top. Remove the lemon bars from the pan and place on a plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice into 9 bars. Because you used fresh squeezed lemon juice and zest… the bars will be a beautiful yellow color. I like to finish off each bar with a dollop of whipped cream and a few blueberries. Enjoy!