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Best Lemon Bars
Makes 12 Bars / Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, March/April 2018.
Crust:
5 oz. (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1-3/4 oz. (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
7 oz. (1 cup) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2/3 cup lemon juice (4 lemons)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Crust:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350⁰F. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 longs sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.
2. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer over entire bottom of pan (do not wash bowl). Bake crust until dark golden brown, 19 to 24 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
Filling:
1. While crust bakes, whisk sugar, flour, cream of tartar, and salt together in now-empty bowl. Whisk in eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain. Whisk in lemon zest and juice. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and
registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in butter. Strain filling through fine mesh strainer set over bowl.
2. Pour filling over hot crust and tilt pan to spread evenly. Bake until filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken, 8 to 12 minutes. (Filling around perimeter of pan may be slightly raised.) Let bars cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into bars, wiping knife clean between cuts as necessary. Before serving, dust bars with confectioner’s sugar, if using.
Makes 12 Bars / Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, March/April 2018.
Crust:
5 oz. (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1-3/4 oz. (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
7 oz. (1 cup) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2/3 cup lemon juice (4 lemons)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Crust:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350⁰F. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 longs sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.
2. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer over entire bottom of pan (do not wash bowl). Bake crust until dark golden brown, 19 to 24 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
Filling:
1. While crust bakes, whisk sugar, flour, cream of tartar, and salt together in now-empty bowl. Whisk in eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain. Whisk in lemon zest and juice. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and
registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in butter. Strain filling through fine mesh strainer set over bowl.
2. Pour filling over hot crust and tilt pan to spread evenly. Bake until filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken, 8 to 12 minutes. (Filling around perimeter of pan may be slightly raised.) Let bars cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into bars, wiping knife clean between cuts as necessary. Before serving, dust bars with confectioner’s sugar, if using.