Lemon Bars

 One of my favorite things about cooking and baking is that each season has something to look forward to in the kitchen. The summer brings overflowing  vegetable from the gardens and juicy stone fruit, the holidays are full of pumpkin and peppermint, and January brings an abundance of citrus to the table.   

We love to have a bowl of tangerines and oranges for snacking and fresh juice, limes are squeezed into fun cocktails, and lemons very quickly turn into these lemon bars. We have been making these for so many years I'm not sure where the original recipe came from, but I do know that they are a staple in January when we are looking for a sweet treat to highlight all the lemons we acquire!

Lemon Bars
Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour

½ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, soft or melted

4 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

Zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon baking powder

Optional  1/2 -1 teaspoon citric acid 

Pre heat oven 350F.

Crust:

Butter and flour or line with a foil sling a 9x13 pan (quarter sheet pan)

In a food processor combine 2 cups flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, salt and butter. Pulse to mix. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Filling:

In medium mixing bowl add eggs, beat with electric mixer to combine. Add sugar, lemon juice, zest, remaining 2 tablespoon flour, baking powder and citric acid is using. Beat until thoroughly combined. You can use the food process for the filing.  Pour over baked crust. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until center is set and edges are golden.

Cool in pan. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Cut in desired size and sprinkle with more powdered sugar.

If your lemons are not tart enough add ½- 1 teaspoon citric acid (fruit fresh) to the filling.

For easier cutting line baking pan with a foil sling, (Line pan with 2 sheets of foil - one down the length of the pan extending  over the ends and the other over the width extending over the sides.) spray with PAM. When the bars are cooled, lift the sling out of the pan to a flat surface for cutting.
 printable recipe