Lemon Bars with a Shortbread Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13” pan with cooking spray.

In the bowl of a food processor, (or in a large mixing bowl, with a pastry cutter) combine the flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt.

I like to push this past the point of a pie crust, which I would just barely want to come together. This has to have some sturdiness to it, so I will mix it until it has really come together. Pour the crust into the pan and, using a spatula, press the dough into a really firm crust on the bottom of the pan. Poke a few holes with a fork or knife to release steam while par-baking the crust.

Bake crust 15 minutes at 350F. It will be barely golden. When you take it out, press the crust down with a spatula to release any steam bubbles that have formed, and to make a more compact crust.

While the crust is baking, make the filling. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy. Add the sugar, whisking constantly so that the yolks are not “cooked” by the sugar. When the eggs and sugar are well combined, add the flour to the filling and mix well. Finally, add the lemon juice and whisk to combine.

Pour the filling over the hot crust when it comes out of the oven.

Return to the oven to cook for another 15 minutes. The lemon should just be set, and the top should have a tiny bit of golden color to it.

Let the lemon bars cool completely before sprinkling them with powdered sugar, (a shaker or sifter works best), and cutting into bars.

Enjoy!