Lemon Bars No. 2

These lemon bars hit the sweet spot between buttery and bright: a thick shortbread base that crumbles like a good shortbread cookie under your teeth, topped with a translucent layer of lemon curd that wobbles when you cut it. The recipe’s ‘not-too-tart’ tagline is honest, the 5 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice get balanced by a generous amount of sugar so you get citrus character without the pucker.

The two-temperature bake is what separates this from rushed lemon bars. Pre-baking the crust low and slow gives the shortbread time to dry out and brown lightly without the edges getting dark, then a hotter second bake sets the egg-and-citrus filling fast so the curd stays glossy instead of going matte and rubbery.

Fresh lemon juice and freshly grated zest are a must here. Bottled juice tastes flat and zest from a tired lemon adds nothing.

Pro Tips

• Line your pan with parchment paper leaving overhangs on two sides, then lift the slab out whole and cut into clean rectangles on a board
• Wait until the bars are completely cool before dusting with confectioners sugar, otherwise the sugar dissolves on contact
• Use a hot knife wiped clean between cuts for sharp edges, run the blade under hot water and dry it
• The filling should jiggle slightly in the center when you pull it from the oven, it firms up as it cools
• Bars keep tightly covered in the fridge for up to four days, dust with fresh sugar before serving since the original layer melts in

Variations

• Swap regular lemons for Meyer lemons for a softer, almost orange-like flavor
• Replace half the lemon juice with passion fruit pulp for a tropical lemon bar
• Add 2 tablespoons of fresh raspberry puree to the filling for ruby-streaked lemon-raspberry bars