Description
These small batch lemon bars consist of a melt-in-your-mouth almond shortbread crust below a creamy, tart lemon filling, all topped off with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
For the almond shortbread crust:
- 60g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- 48g (1/2 cup) almond flour
- 21g (3 tbsp) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 56g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
For the lemon filling:
- 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- 8g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 78g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- 2 eggs, room temp
Instructions
For the almond shortbread crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the sides for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
- Cut the cubes of butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the butter is pea-size. Lastly, mix in the almond extract.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan and pack it down with the back of a rubber spatula into an even layer.
- Dock the dough with the tines of a fork, then bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are barely golden and the center no longer looks doughy.
For the lemon filling:
- While the crust bakes, make the lemon filling. In a medium bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until the it resembles wet sand and the zest smells aromatic.
- Stir in the cornstarch and salt. Then, add in the lemon juice and eggs. Whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the eggs are fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Once the crust is done baking, immediately pour the lemon filling over the hot crust.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for 15-16 minutes or until it is completely set in the middle.
- Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature. Then, cover with plastic wrap chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
- Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- Dock the shortbread: Before baking the shortbread, dock the dough with the tines of a fork to encourage even & thorough baking.
- Whisk the lemon filling vigorously: To ensure the eggs are fully incorporated into the filling, whisk the mixture vigorously. The last thing you want are cooked pieces of egg in your filling!
- Chill the baked bars: For the filling to set up to a thick, sliceable consistency, the bars need to be chilled for at least one hour or overnight.
- Decorate with powdered sugar just before serving: The powdered sugar will melt into the bars as they sit, so it's best to wait to decorate them until just before serving.
Keywords: small batch, lemon bars, lemon bars with shortbread crust