Ingredients (~6 servings)
Shortbread Crust
- nonstick spray (ghee, coconut or extra light olive oil spray)
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (plus more for serving)
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 meyer lemon, zested
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Meyer Lemon Filling
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 meyer lemons, zested
- pinch fine salt
- 1/4 cup meyer lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
Make the Shortbread Crust
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Line an 8×8 cake pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. If using a glass pan, skip the foil.
In a mixing bowl, measure the 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp salt and zest from 1/2 meyer lemon. Whisk to combine.
Add the 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Use a pastry blender to blend the butter and vanilla into the dry ingredients until it forms coarse crumbs.
Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared pan and use your fingers to press it evenly into the bottom.
Bake on the middle rack for ~18-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The edges should be lightly golden.
Make the Filling and Finish Baking
While the crust bakes, add the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour, pinch of salt, zest from 1 1/2 meyer lemons, and 1/4 cup meyer lemon juice to your food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend for 30 seconds.
Add the 2 eggs and blend for 15 seconds until smooth.
Once the crust has baked, reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
Pour the filling onto the hot crust and continue baking for ~20 minutes, rotating halfway through. The filling should be set and no longer jiggly in the center.
Remove and cool the bars completely in the pan set on top of a wire rack – this takes ~2 hours.
Use the foil to lift the bars from the pan, cut into 6 squares and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Meyer Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- nonstick spray ghee, coconut or extra light olive oil spray
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar plus more for serving
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 meyer lemon zested
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Meyer Lemon Filling
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 meyer lemons zested
- pinch fine salt
- 1/4 cup meyer lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line an 8×8 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and zest from 1/2 meyer lemon.
- Add 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and blend with pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
- Press mixture evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake 18-20 minutes until edges are lightly golden, rotating pan halfway through.
- While crust bakes, blend 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, zest from 1 1/2 meyer lemons, and 1/4 cup meyer lemon juice in food processor for 30 seconds.
- Add 2 eggs and blend 15 seconds until smooth.
- Reduce oven to 325F once crust is done.
- Pour filling over hot crust and bake 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until set and not jiggly.
- Cool completely in pan on wire rack for 2 hours.
- Lift bars from pan using foil, cut into 6 squares, and dust with powdered sugar.
