Small Batch Lemon Bars
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.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the almond shortbread crust:
- 60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
- 48 g (½ cup) almond flour
- 21 g (3 tablespoon) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 56 g (4 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
For the lemon filling:
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- 8 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 78 g (⅓ 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.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
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