You only need a handful of ingredients to make the Best Lemon Squares Recipe. They are a wonderful citrus treat! Buttery shortcrust pastry base with a tart lemon filling and finished off with a dusting of confectioners sugar, and you will be licking your fingers clean after each one! I adore baking with lemon. From Lemon Pound Cake to Lemon Blueberry Scones, I love the tart sweetness you get in each bake. This lemon squares recipe is a tangy, not too sweet treat the whole family will love.
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/160°C and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang on the sides so it’s easy to lift the bars out of the pan. Set the pan aside.
Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a food processor), beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, and sugar vigorously until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. It’s essential to beat the butter and sugar well when making shortbread, ensuring it will be light, crisp, and hold together.
Sift the flour and salt in a bowl. Add it to the butter mixture and mix until blended (forming large clumps)
Add the batter to the prepared pan, and using floured hands, press evenly into the prepared pan (including the sides). Dock the dough by pricking the top all over with a fork.
Bake until the base is light golden (about 30 minutes). If you like a crisper base, add an extra five minutes to the baking time, but it’s all a personal choice. Just be sure to check after 25 minutes and go from there. Once done, set aside to cool.
Beat eggs and yolks together in a bowl; whisk in the sugar and flour until smooth. If you’re concerned about lumps, you can sift the flour and sugar together. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, then give it a good whisk. You want to ensure the flour and sugar are thoroughly combined with the eggs, lemon juice, and zest.
Pour the filling onto the warm shortbread base.
I like to place the pan on a baking sheet so it’s easier to put in the oven.
Bake for around 25 minutes at 350°F/160°C or until the center is set (the center is set when it no longer jiggles when the pan is gently shaken). Rotate the pan halfway through for an even bake.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely at room temperature for 2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill (about 1-2 hours).
Once cool, lift the bars out of the pan with the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving.
Use a moist, sharp knife for neat squares and wipe the blade clean between each cut.
Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
