Lemon Bars

bFearless Lemon Bars 

Nothing brightens a cloudy, damp day like a burst of sunshine, whether in the sky or on a plate, and these lemon bars do just that. From their buttery crust to their velvety lemon curd filling to the dusting of confectioner's sugar on top, these bars bring smiles and groans of delight.  This is the best recipe I've found, and I've tried quite a few. With just a few tweaks, this winning recipe from Smitten Kitchen will be my new favorite for this gloriously tart, lemon dessert.


I baked these bars to share with my daughter's co-workers at bFearless, a boutique clothing store in Walnut Creek, Ohio. Their logo  - "The cure for the common life" - seemed an appropriate description for these luscious bars, so, in jest, I nick-named them after the store.

I hope you enjoy them!

 Lemon Bars 

Recipe...

Ingredients

Crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt

Lemon Curd Pudding
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
1 scant cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour

Confectioner's Sugar, for dusting

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper.

For the crust:  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light colored and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about a minute or two, scraping the bowl once. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly into the baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon curd pudding: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until combined. Pour over the crust and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let come to almost room temperature before you attempt to cut it.

Dust with confectioner's sugar, cut into small squares, and serve.