Perfect Lemon Bars

True story:  I ate one of these for breakfast this morning. 

Trust me, these are THAT good.

I really can't stop eating them.  I ate a couple yesterday after my run.  Yep, that's right, I actually went for a run yesterday with Tony along the beach path near our home.  I'm working on getting in shape before we head to Hawaii net month.  Although I do want to be "bikini-ready" when I go, the main reason why I want to get in shape is because I want to be able to keep up on all the hikes we go on while we're there:  Diamond Head and Manoa Falls, to name a few.  

I also ate another one last night, while we watched our new addiction and favorite show:  Game of Thrones.  Although I had heard about it, I never really felt the need to watch it until our last trip to San Diego, when Tony's step-mom told us about how good it is, and gave us the first season on DVD to borrow.  After that, we were curious, so we watched the first episode...then the next...and the next...until we were done.  Then on to season 2, and now, we're right in the middle of season 3.  I admit it, I'm hooked!  It's so good, and I can't help but love the character, Daenerys Targaryen, "Queen of Dragons."  In my opinion, she really is the star of the show.  Well...her and Tyrion Lannister.  I love his constant witty, sarcastic remarks.  If you don't watch the show, I highly recommend it, if you don't mind the sex/nudity/language that is pretty common for any HBO show.  :)

Now let's talk lemon bars.  The original blogger who posted this recipe, Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, described this recipe as the perfect lemon bar recipe, hence the name, Perfect Lemon Bars.  I was a little skeptical, because using the description of "perfect" truly sets the bar pretty high, but after making these, I have to agree with Mel.  These are perfect!  The crust of these bars is so butterfly and flaky; just what you would desire in a shortbread crust.  The lemon filling has a sweet, yet tart flavor that any lemon lover (like me) would absolutely love.

If I could report any downside to this recipe, it would be the fact that part of this recipe requires patience.  I struggle with recipes that require chilling time, so it was difficult for me to wait for the shortbread dough to chill in between blending and pressing in the pan, but trust me, the wait is so worth it!  The chilling time is necessary to be sure that the butter stays cold and solid after blending the shortbread dough and again after pressing in the pan.  The cold, solid pieces of butter are what makes the crust stay light and flaky while baking.  As the butter melts during the baking process, it leaves little pockets throughout the crust, giving it that crispy texture that everyone loves.

Perfect Lemon Bars

Print this recipe

Yield:  one 9x13 inch pan

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on bars

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

12 Tbsp. butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces

For the filling:

4 large eggs

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. grated lemon zest, from 2 large lemons

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 3 to 4 large lemons

1/3 cup milk

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Place an oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with  parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper.

Stir together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Add the butter and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender (for best results) or using two knives, or process in a food processor for 8 to 10 seconds and then as needed until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.  Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer on the bottom and about 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan.  Refrigerate again for 15-30 minutes.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl and then stir in the lemon zest, juice and milk to combine.

Pour the filling onto the warm crust (it's important that the crust is still warm) and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the filling is solid and feels slightly firm to the touch.  Cool the bars to room temperature, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and cut into bars.