Lemon Bars – MAMA RECIPE

These tangy lemon bars are the ultimate treat. They have a simple shortbread crust, fresh lemon curd, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the flour and mix until combined. Spread and pat the crust into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned.
Meanwhile, whisk the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture over the warm crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes rotating the dish from front to back halfway through the baking period.
Let the lemon bars cool for a while before covering them and placing them in the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight. When slicing the bars use a sharp knife and run it under warm water and dry it between each cut.

Use fresh lemon juice. One regular lemon yields 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Line the baking dish with parchment paper to make removing the lemon bars easy. Watch here for a quick tutorial.
Always pour the lemon filling over a warm crust, not a cool crust. If you let the crust cool, you run the risk of the lemon bars flipping. The crust will be on the top and the lemon filling will be in a mess on the bottom of the dish.
Don’t try to cut the bars too early. They need adequate chilling time, at least 2 hours, but I prefer to chill them overnight.
Slice the bars using a sharp knife. For extra clean cuts, rinse the knife with hot water and dry it between each cut.