Lemon Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 
• Pinch table salt 
  12 tablespoons cold butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces

Filling:

• 4 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2/3 cup juice from 4 lemons
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 2 pieces
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Confectioners' sugar for topping

Preparation:

For the Crust:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang on all sides to use as handles.
3. Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor 2 to 3 times.
4. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (the dough will stick together if squeezed into ball) about fifteen 1-second pulses.
5. Sprinkle dough into 8" square prepared pan and press in even layer.
6. Bake until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Leave the oven on, you will be baking this again after adding the filling
8. Place pan on a cooling rack

Lemon Bar Filling:

1. While crust is cooling, whisk the 4 Eggs, 3 Egg Yolks, and Sugar together in saucepan.
2. Add Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and pudding-like, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in Butter and Cream.
4. Pour filling over crust and tilt the pan around to spread evenly.
5. Bake until filling is set, about 15 minutes.
6. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour, then, using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and cut into 9 squares.
7. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
8. If you are not going to eat these right away, then store them covered in the refrigerator.

Makes 9 squares.