Lemon Bars

By flavorofvanilla

Simple dessert - total time is about 1 hour and 15 minutes, sans cooling.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 3 cups AP flour, divided
• Heavy pinch of salt
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup lemon juice (about 6 medium lemons), strained

Preparation

Step 1

Center a rack in the oven and heat to 350ºF. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth, then add 1/2 cup of sugar and mix on high speed until lightened in color and soft. Turn to a low speed, add 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix this until it's just come together - don't overmix. Place the dough into a 9x13-inch buttered glass baking pan and spread evenly. Bake this for about 15 minutes, or until it's lightly browned. Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.

In a stand mixer bowl, add the remaining sugar and lemon zest. Rub between your fingers until fragrant. Add the eggs and whisk together. Add the lemon juice, then slowly add the remaining flour. Whisk until the mixture comes together (be sure there are no clumps of flour left), and then pour on top of the baked crust. Rotate the dish until the filling is evenly spread. Place back into the oven and bake 30-40 minutes, until the filling has thickened. Cool to room temperature before cutting so the filling has a chance to set.