meyer lemon bars

Desserts

Meyer Lemon Bars

Though they’re small, Meyer lemon bars pack a lot of sweetness and flavor, which means it’s just fine to serve them all on their own. If you want to pair the bars with a little something more, serve them with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. The lemon bars are also very tasty alongside a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. For an afternoon treats, serve Meyer lemon bars with hot or iced tea. Aperitifs to try with the lemon bars include blackberry liqueur, homemade limoncello and creme de Violette.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 tablespoon ice water
filling:
1-1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated meyer lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

Lightly grease a 13x9-in. baking dish; line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
To make the crust, place butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until smooth. Add flour and salt; pulse several times until blended. Add 1 tablespoon ice water; pulse until shortbread dough comes together in a ball (if dough is still dry and crumbly, add a little more ice water).
Drop spoonfuls of dough over the bottom of the parchment-lined baking dish. Use your fingers to press the dough together into an even layer. Chill for 15 minutes.
While chilling, preheat oven to 350°.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
To make the filling, add sugar, eggs, Meyer lemon juice, flour, Meyer lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder, vanilla extract and pinch of salt to a clean food processor bowl. Process until ingredients are thoroughly combined and smooth.
Pour filling over baked crust. Return to the oven; bake 20-25 minutes or until filling is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lift edges of the parchment paper; transfer slab to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim about ¼-in. from the outside edges. Slice into 24 squares.
Add confectioners’ sugar to a mesh strainer or a sifter spoon; dust the top of the lemon bars.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.