When I was older, Meme and Dede would travel to Florida in the winter and stay near a citrus farm. They would return with bulging sacks of oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. I know Dede enjoyed the trip, but I sometimes wondered about Meme. She must have been in her eighties when she derisively commented, “There’s nothing but old people in Florida.” Citrus fruit has a strong presence in Southern cooking. Lemons and other citrus from Florida and the Caribbean were used in Southern cooking as early as the Colonial period. A recipe for lemon pudding appeared in Mary Randolph’s 1824 cookbook, The Virginia Housewife, the first regional cookbook published in America. Lemon meringue pie holds a special place in people’s memories, as do lemon curd and lemon squares like these. Store these bars tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

　　

Ingredients

makes 24 squares

　　1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

　　3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

　　1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

　　3 cups granulated sugar

　　7 large eggs

　　Grated zest and juice of 5 lemons (about 1 cup juice)

　　

Step 1

Take a few bits of the butter and, using your hands, grease an 18 x 13-inch (half-sheet size) rimmed baking sheet.

　　

Step 2

To make the crust, in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine 3 cups of the flour, the 3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar, and half of the salt; pulse until well combined. Add the remaining butter and pulse until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and, using your fingers, press into the pan. To ensure that the dough is a smooth, uniform layer, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, then, using the back of a spoon, spread the dough evenly in the pan. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the chilled dough until golden brown, rotating once, about 30 minutes; remove to a rack and leave the oven on.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, to make the filling, in the work bowl of the food processor (no need to worry about residual dough), combine the remaining 2/3 cup of flour, the granulated sugar, the remaining pinch of salt, eggs, grated lemon zest, and lemon juice.

　　

Step 5

To assemble, pour the filling on top of the still-warm crust. Bake until set and just beginning to color, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Sift over additional confectioners’ sugar. Slice into squares and serve.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.