Some baking recipes remind me of a specific time of year, and these fantastic lemon bars are no exception. Sweet and light, these seasonal springtime baking treats are zesty without being overpowering, and the decadent brown butter shortbread crust makes them sophisticated enough for even the most special occasion.
For this recipe, you’ll have to blind-bake the crust – this is when you pre-cook your pastry to keep it nice and crisp. I wouldn’t be without my special pie weights, but if you don’t have any, rice, lentils or dried pulses work just as well.
Here’s what you need to make these zesty and fresh lemon bars
PrintSeasonal baking: Zesty lemon bars
Light and zesty, these delicious lemon bars always remind me of spring! Find out how to make this
wonderful seasonal baking favorite.
Here’s what you need to make these zesty and fresh lemon bars
Ingredients
For the brown butter shortbread crust:
- 80g powdered sugar
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 200g unsalted butter at room temperature (100g for the brown butter)
For the lemon filling:
- 80g all-purpose flour
- 500g powdered sugar (plus extra for serving)
- 250g lemon juice
- 6 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
My lemon bars recipe:
- Prepare a 24cm x 24cm cake pan by greasing it with butter. Preheat the oven to 180°c
- Start with the shortbread crust – take 100g of butter and heat in a pan, whisking until it
browns. When done, pour into a bowl and leave to cool - Mix all the shortbread crust ingredients in a bowl until they form a dough. Put the dough in
the cake pan and press into the pan, making sure the dough goes up the sides. Pressing the
dough down with a plate helps ensure an even crust - Lay parchment paper on top of the crust and weigh down with your pie weights or pulses.
Cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown - While the crust is baking, time to make the lemon filling. Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl,
mixing together. Then add the lemon juice until the sugar and flour are dissolved - Whisk the eggs, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until the eggs are pale in colour. Add to the lemon
mixture and whisk until everything is well-incorporated - When the crust is cooked, reduce the oven temperature to 120°c. Remove the parchment
paper and weights, and carefully pour the filling into the crust. Place back in the oven for 30
minutes until the filling sets - Allow to completely cool on a wire rack, cover, and place in the fridge for a couple of hours. While most bakes are best served warm, these lemon bars need to be cool; otherwise the filling will melt
- Use a serrated or sharp knife to cut the lemon bars into squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve, and enjoy! These lemon bars will last in the fridge for up to three days.
Making lemon bars: my top tips:
- Fancy something a little different? Replace the lemon juice with lime juice or grapefruit juice
for a refreshing alternative - Microwaving your lemon for 30 seconds means you get more juice. Alternatively, roll your
lemon on the kitchen counter to loosen up the juice inside - Don’t panic if you get air bubbles in your lemon bars; this is just the air from the eggs rising
up. They taste exactly the same, and a sprinkling of powdered sugar hides the bubbles
perfectly
Notes
Discover more seasonal baking ideas in my baking cookbook
I’ve played around with this lemon bar recipe for a long time to get it just right, and I think this
recipe works perfectly. Don’t forget to sprinkle your lemon bars with sugar just before you serve
them; if you put them back in the fridge, the sugar dissolves away!
These lemon bars are perfect for birthdays, baby showers, and family get-togethers – I’d love to
know what you think of them.
If you’re looking for more delicious seasonal baking recipes, you’ll find some fantastic ideas in my
baking cookbook, Sweet Love.
