Whatever time of year it is, let's bring that bright, sunshiney freshness of summer with these delicious lemon bars! They're ooey, gooey, and perfectly easy to make!
I do remember these delicious lemon bars as being a summertime staple in our house growing up, but I also remember mom being reluctant to make them because, in her words, "You can never eat just one!" They're sinfully delicious and so quick and easy.
In fact, just recently, I wanted to make one of my mom's recipes, but didn't want to go to the store for ingredients. I came across this recipe and realized that I already had everything I needed for these lemon bars! You can make them with some pretty common household ingredients, so why not? Let's make them and squeeze some more drops out of summer!
To begin with, preheat your oven to 350°. Then, sift 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar together. I currently don't have a sifter with me (curse you, storage unit!) so I just sifted these ingredients through a colander and it worked just fine. Then, cut up one cup of margarine so it's easier to work with and add it to the dry ingredients.
Mom skips what to do on this step, so I just got in there with my hands and got messy! I mashed the three ingredients together until I got a crumbly dough-like mixture. Then, you press it into a 9"x13" pan. Then, bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. I went all the way to 20 minutes and didn't get any dramatic browning, just a little around the edges. So if that's all you get, that's fine!
While that part is in the oven, beat together 4 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Now here, I add a little bit to Mom's recipe. I wanted my bars to be extra zesty, so I zested a fresh lemon and added half of the zest to this step, saving the other half to sprinkle on to when they're done. If you're feeling zesty, go for it! But it's totally not necessary.
Next, sift in 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. Stir to combine. When the crust is finished baking, pour the egg mixture over the partially-baked crust. It should look something like this:
Put the whole thing back in the oven for 20 minutes, then take out and let cool. At this point, you can sprinkle on the other half of your lemon zest and/or a sprinkling of powdered sugar. This just really looks divine and delicious. Cut when cool!
Mom says to serve this with whipped cream...but I kinda think that's gilding the lily. But that's up to you! If you want to gild that lily, go for it! But in my opinion, they're great on their own.
And that's it! These are so simple and so fool proof. And so tasty! I honestly love this recipe and it's great to pull out if you're in a pinch for a last-minute desert or if you're craving the fresh zing of summer. If you make this recipe, be sure to share any photos you take below! Enjoy! XOXO
Ingredients
2 cups + 1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (plus extra for garnish)
1 cup margarine
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Whipped cream to serve (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°
Sift 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
Cut in margarine
Mix together into crumbly dough texture
Press into bottom of 9"x13" pan
Bake for 15-20 minutes
Meanwhile, beat 4 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of lemon juice, and half the lemon zest together
When the crust is finished, pour the egg mixture on top
Bake for an additional 20 minutes
Let cool, then sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and the rest of the lemon zest
Serve and enjoy!