Craving a delectable treat that combines the zesty flavors of lemon with a buttery, crumbly crust? Look no further than lemon bars with a brown butter shortbread crust. These classic treats are a harmonious blend of tangy and sweet, with a velvety filling nestled between layers of rich, golden-brown shortbread. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe is sure to become a favorite for its simplicity and irresistible taste.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
LEMON BARS WITH BROWN-BUTTER SHORTBREAD CRUST
Brown butter adds a nutty flavor to the crust of these pleasantly tart lemon bars.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes 24
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; line baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides.
- Make the crust: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until barely browned in color. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into the bowl of an electric mixer, leaving any burned sediment behind. Transfer butter to refrigerator until solidified. When solidified, remove from refrigerator and let soften slightly.
- Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until butter is smooth. Sift flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into bowl; mix on low speed until combined.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan and press evenly into bottom of the pan using the back of a measuring cup; it should be about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to refrigerator; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer baking pan to oven and bake until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. If crust appears to be browning unevenly, rotate pan.
- Make the filling: Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Add lemon juice and zest; whisk to dissolve granulated sugar. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk until well combined.
- When the crust is golden brown, pull out oven rack and evenly pour filling mixture directly over hot crust (if crust has finished baking before filling has been made, return crust to oven for a few minutes so that it is hot). If air bubbles appear on the surface, remove them using a kitchen torch held 4 to 5 inches from the surface, moving in a slow even motion. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake until center is set, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove baking pan from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let lemon bars cool completely before covering and transferring to refrigerator until chilled.
- Using a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, cut lemon bars into twenty-four 2-inch squares and dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired.
EASY LEMON BARS WITH BUTTERY CRUST
These easy lemon bars have the most delicious buttery crust and a creamy, tart lemon topping. Making the crust with melted butter rather than softened keeps it crisp and perfectly contrasted to the creamy, lemon filling on top. Don't skip chilling the crust before baking, it really helps keep the crust crisp and crunchy. Lemons can vary when it comes to how sour they are. We like to taste our lemons to check for sourness. If they are really sour, we might consider adding a little extra sugar to the filling. Alternatively, if they are sweeter than usual, we'll pull back the sugar amount (2 to 4 tablespoons should do it).
Provided by Adam and Joanne Gallagher
Categories Dessert
Time 1h25m
Yield Makes 16 lemon bars
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Line a straight-sided 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. (This will help when it comes to removing the cooled bars from the pan). Lightly coat the sides of the foil, but not the bottom, with non-stick cooking spray or extra melted butter to prevent the lemon topping from sticking.
- In a medium bowl, use a spatula to stir and press the sugar, salt, lemon zest, and the vanilla extract together until it looks moist and is fragrant. Stir in the flour and melted butter until a crumbly, stiff dough forms.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan (it may not look like enough dough at first, but it will cover the bottom nicely). Prick the dough with a fork all over to prevent air bubbles while baking. Freeze dough for 5 minutes, or until firm (or refrigerate for 30 minutes).
- Position an oven rack near the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the crust until lightly golden brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While the crust bakes, stir the sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest together. Whisk in the eggs until smooth then whisk in the lemon juice.
- Once the crust has baked, pour the lemon topping over the hot crust. Return the pan to the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the topping is set in the center and it no longer wiggles when the pan is moved, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool until the lemon bars are firm and the bottom of the pan is no longer warm, about 1 hour. (You can speed this up a little by placing the bars into the refrigerator once the pan is no longer hot).
- Once cooled, use the overhang of foil to carefully lift the bars from the pan and place on a cutting board. Peel away the foil then cut into 16 bars or 32 small bars. Sift the powdered sugar over the bars.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 bar, Calories 260, Protein 4 g, Carbohydrate 40 g, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 25 g, Fat 10 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Cholesterol 69 mg
SHORTBREAD LEMON BARS
I've put together two family cookbooks over the years, and this recipe ranks among my favorites. These special lemon bars have a yummy shortbread crust and a refreshing flavor. I never hesitate to make this dessert for guests since I know it will be a hit. -Margaret Peterson, Forest City, Iowa
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield 3 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, and lemon and orange zest. Add butter; cover and process until mixture forms a ball. , Pat into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake until set and the edges are lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. , In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Pour over hot crust. Bake until set and lightly browned, 14-16 minutes. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Spread over filling. , Bake until topping is set, 7-9 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into bars just before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 172 calories, Fat 9g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 51mg cholesterol, Sodium 70mg sodium, Carbohydrate 20g carbohydrate (15g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 2g protein.
LEMON BARS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST
These are among my favorite desserts. The Shortbread Crust is simplified by using melted butter. Original Source: Allrecipes.com "Lemon Square Bars" by Ralph. I reduced the white sugar in the topping to about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups. This works well with Meyer Lemons too -- reduce the white sugar in the topping to about 1 1/4 - 1 1/3 Cup as the Meyer Lemon juice is a bit sweeter.
Provided by cupcake
Categories Bar Cookie
Time 1h5m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan, making sure you grease the sides of the pan very well.
- In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar until well-blended. (If the confectioner's sugar is lumpy, sift or push it through a strainer to get the lumps out.).
- Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake this (shortbread crust) in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until light.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the white sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs.
- Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
- Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 383.4, Fat 17.2, SaturatedFat 10.3, Cholesterol 102.7, Sodium 190, Carbohydrate 54, Fiber 0.7, Sugar 35.2, Protein 4.7
Tips:
- For the perfect shortbread crust, use cold butter and flour. This will help to prevent the crust from becoming tough.
- When baking the shortbread crust, prick it with a fork several times to prevent it from bubbling up.
- Let the shortbread crust cool completely before adding the lemon filling. This will help to prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
- For the lemon filling, use fresh lemon juice and zest. This will give the filling the best flavor.
- When baking the lemon bars, keep an eye on them to prevent them from overbaking. The bars are done when the filling is set and the top is golden brown.
- Let the lemon bars cool completely before cutting them into squares. This will help to prevent the bars from falling apart.
Conclusion:
These lemon bars with brown butter shortbread crust are the perfect dessert for any occasion. They are easy to make and always a hit with everyone who tries them. The shortbread crust is buttery and flaky, and the lemon filling is tart and refreshing. These bars are sure to be a favorite in your home.
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