Ever since I can remember, I have loved lemon bars. My mother used to make them as a special treat when we were growing up. They were a dessert that she made for my sister, who we lovingly called, a “lemonhead.” Lemonheads are people that love everything lemon. Although I was not necessarily one of those people growing up, I have increasingly grown to appreciate the versatile citrus and incorporate it into my home and cooking whenever possible. Using a microplane, we regularly add lemon zest to recipes to bring extra brightness to a dish.
A few years ago, I was on a mission to create a lemon bar that could be easily transported. I love the flavor of my mother’s recipe, her bars are absolutely delicious, but they were too fragile for my needs. I wanted a lemon dessert that I could make and take to my sister’s house, serve at parties, wrap as gifts and hold up at tailgating events.
I am not a professional baker and I don’t have access to a commercial kitchen. In order to create the perfect bar, I did what any other home cook would do. I relied on my family and friends to become my test subjects. Let me be clear, by the time I modified my recipe into one that I liked, my family and friends needed a break from my baking!
If you are looking for a delicious lemon dessert recipe to try, I highly recommend this one! After many minor modifications, we think it’s perfection!
Shookhill Lemon Squares
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Filling:
- 7 eggs
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup flour
Instructions
Crust:
- To prepare the crust, you will need an electric mixer and a medium sized bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar. Gradually add flour and salt and beat just until blended.
- Spread over bottom of ungreased 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan.
- Bake in preheated 350° oven until the crust becomes light brown around the edges. Approximately 15 minutes.
Filling:
- While the crust is in the oven make the lemon filling.
- In a medium bowl, slightly beat the eggs.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and sugar together. Then add the sugar mixture to the eggs and mix to incorporate.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix on low speed until blended.
- When the crust is done baking, pour the lemon filling over top of the crust and return to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes or until the filling is set.
- Cool the dessert on a wire rack until completely cooled.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars for serving.
