These Lemon Bars, made with just 6 main ingredients, are nothing like the uninspiring ones you might have had before. Smooth, ultra-lemony curd + crisp browned-butter crust = the ultimate expression of lemon. With this simple recipe and year-round lemon availability, you can enjoy a bright, sunny treat whenever you want.
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Why two versions of the same video?
“The Full Scoop”
The unabridged video recipe, packed with info. We go through each step in detail and I explain the "why" behind everything we do. Included: candid moments, unexpected outcomes, and any mistakes or mishaps. Baking and cooking often don't go perfectly, but it's in fixing mistakes where we actually learn the most. I don't try to edit "The Full Scoop" to fit under a certain runtime. It's for those who love a deep dive.
“The Field Guide”
The quick-reference companion edition. It's the same recipe, condensed to focus on the essential steps and key points. It's designed to be an easy-to-follow guide for while you're cooking. Consider "The Field Guide" an enhanced version of the written recipe, with visual cues and reminders for each step. Once you've absorbed the details by watching "The Full Scoop", or if you're just looking for a concise, no-frills recipe, "The Field Guide" is the reference you'll return to time and time again.
"The Field Guide" will be posted a few days after the main "The Full Scoop" video. Subscribe to be notified!
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Lemon Bar Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 140g (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 175g (1-1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
- 5g (1-1/2 tsp) kosher salt (sub: 3/4 tsp fine sea salt OR table salt)
- 1 tbsp (15mL) water
Filling
- 300g (1-1/2 cups) sugar
- 54g (6 Tbsp) all purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1/16 tsp ground turmeric (optional)
- 1/2 tsp citric acid (optional, sub: 1-1/2 tsp cream of tartar)
- 3 large eggs (~50g each w/o shell)
- 3 egg yolks (~20g each)
- ~17g (~2 Tbsp packed) lemon zest (zest the lemons needed for 200mL juice)
- 200mL (200g) lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
- 84g (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter
Garnish
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Prep
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the middle position.
2. Line a 9” x 9” baking pan (can be metal, glass, or ceramic) with parchment paper.
Crust
3. Measure out all crust ingredients and have them ready.
4. Make Browned Butter:
- Melt butter in a medium stainless steel pan over medium heat.
- Butter will foam, bubble, and crackle. Stir occasionally, then constantly as sounds die down.
- Light sediment will appear. Scrape pan to prevent sticking and burning. Reduce heat to low.
- Stir until sediment turns rich brown and butter smells nutty. Turn off heat.
5. Add salt and sugar, stirring to incorporate. Mix in flour until well combined and no dry flour remains. The mixture will be clumpy and sandy.
6. Add water and stir thoroughly for a homogenous dough.
7. Transfer dough to pan. Press into an even layer with hands or bottom of a cup. Prick all over with a fork.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until evenly golden with slightly browned edges.
Filling
9. Wipe pan used for crust to remove excess debris. Add all filling ingredients except lemon juice and butter. Stir to combine.
10. Add lemon juice and stir until evenly mixed.
11. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping constantly. When filling begins to thicken, reduce heat to low. Cook until filling reaches 160-165°F (70-75°C), is slightly thickened, and coats spoon. Texture should be halfway between melted ice cream and shampoo.
12. Remove from heat. Add butter, stir to melt and combine.
13. Strain filling onto baked crust. Tilt pan to spread evenly.
14. Bake for 7-15 minutes, until the filling is set with slightly puffed edges. The filling should barely jiggle when the pan is shaken.
Cool & Serve:
15. Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature for at least 1.5 hours. If ambient temperature is very warm, chill the bars in the fridge, uncovered.
16. Lift cooled bars from pan. Cut with sharp knife, wiping blade between cuts with a damp towel. Trim 1/4" (0.5 cm) from all sides. Cut into desired size (I like 4x4 for 16 pieces).
17. Optional: Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:15 Prep
01:41 Start Crust
03:06 Crust Ingredients
03:32 Brown Butter
05:06 Make / Bake Crust
07:05 Start Filling
08:23 Optional Ingredient #1
08:57 Optional Ingredient #2
09:06 Check Crust Progress
09:20 Optional Ingredient #2, continued
10:49 Check Crust Progress
11:08 Continue Filling
12:27 Crust Done Baking
12:42 Continue Filling
15:42 Cook Filling
18:56 Assemble & Bake
19:56 Clean up
21:00 Check Filling Progress & Interlude
22:30 Filling Done Baking
23:32 Final Assembly
24:04 Cooled Bars Reveal + Fix Condensation
25:03 Cut and Finish Bars
26:31 Tasting
27:07 Outro + Final Thoughts
28:47 Outtakes