Tart and tangy, lemon bars are one of those amazing desserts that seem to please everyone. Maybe it’s because bars are easy to serve and highly portable, a clever cross between a cookie and pie. The key to a good lemon bar is a strong citrus flavor. You’ll want your mouth to pucker in delight! When choosing your lemons, be sure to pick ones that are vibrant in color and feel somewhat heavy in the hand. Also, when zesting, be sure you only get the yellow part, as the white part is very bitter.

　　

Ingredients

makes 10 to 12 servings

　　2 cups plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

　　1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling

　　Pinch of salt

　　4 large eggs

　　2 cups granulated sugar

　　6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　1 tablespoon lemon zest

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Mix 2 cups of the flour, the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Keep oven at 350°F.

　　

Step 3

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of flour, the lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Pour the filling over the prepared crust, and bake for 25 minutes or until filling has set. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before cutting into bars.

　　

Step 4

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

　　

note

Step 5

When life gives you lemons, remember Crystal’s rule of thumb: 1 medium lemon yields 2 to 4 tablespoons of juice and 1 tablespoon of grated rind.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.