Lemon Bars

Scrambling for a a last-minute Fourth of July dessert or summer picnic recipe? No fear, I have the perfect tangy, sweet, and refreshing treat: lemon bars! After all, the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemon bars", right...? Well, it should, because these babies are absolutely delicious and quick to whip up for any summer gathering.

This is all you need: just five simple ingredients
(plus some garnishes if you feel like sprucing stuff up).

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees and creaming
2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar,  2 cups of flour, and a pinch
of salt together. It's okay if the dough is crumbly like pictured.

Gather up the dough with your hands, and it should easily pack
together into a ball. Then flatten it into a greased or lined 9x13
pan. Chill until the dough becomes firm to the touch and bake
for 20 minutes or until the base is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, start off the lemon filling by beating 6 eggs and
2 1/2 cups of sugar together.

Next, zest two lemons. I find a micro-plane to work best for
zesting (it's also great for grating)!

And you'll need a cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice; none of that
bottled, concentrated junk! 4 to 5 lemons will do the trick,
depending on how big they are.

Add the zest and lemon juice to the filling.

As well as a cup of flour.

This is the perfect color for the base.

Pour the filling in, then pop it into the oven for 35
minutes, or until the  filling is set.

Let cool to room temperature, and then you can cut and decorate. Dusted confectioner's sugar is perfect for a simple presentation, and for something a little more elegant you can try some fresh whipped cream and raspberries. Yum!

Lemon Bars Recipe (Yields about 18 bars)

Ingredients:

For the base:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

pinch of salt

For the Filling:

6 eggs, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 4 to 5 lemons)

Optional: Confectioner's sugar, whipped cream, and/or berries for garnishing

DIrections:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream the butter, sugar, flour, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Gather the dough together and press into a 9x13 pan. Chill for about 10 minutes, or until  dough firms up.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the base is lightly browned.

5. Beat eggs and sugar together. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour filling over base.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until filling is set.

7. Let cool to room temperature and cut into rectangles and garnish with powdered sugar. (or whipped cream and berries)