Ina G’s Lemon Bars
Lemon is the new chocolate. In my life, anyway. For many others it has always been the undisputed king of desserts. This is the best lemon bar recipe I have found – the base rich and buttery, the topping supremely lemony and the generous dusting of icing sugar on top balances the tartness underneath. Plus they are a cinch to make.
I like to cut mine small. There is a cafe in Dublin that used to sell mini baked goods for €1 which I thought was a beautiful example of the nudge theory in practice. A lotta people won’t spend €4 on a big brownie but will spend €1 on two bites. Pocket and waist friendly, hello.
Original recipe from the Barefoot Contessa.
Ingredients
Pastry:
125g soft unsalted butter
55g caster sugar
150g plain flour
pinch of salt
Lemon Filling :
3 large eggs,
335g caster sugar
zest 3 lemons
120ml lemon juice (should be what you get from 3 lemons)
75g plain flour
icing sugar, for dusting
Square tin, 19cm x 19cm
Directions
Start with the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and salt until incorporated. Smooth into the tin – no need to grease – using your hands or the back of a spoon for an even surface. Leave to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. Then bake in an oven pre-heated to 180C for 15 – 20 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Whisk together the zest, eggs, juice and sugar, then add the flour. Done! Pour onto the cooled pastry base and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until there is no jiggle and it looks firm and set.