Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust

Method · 9 steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 metal pan with parchment, leaving overhang as handles.

2. 2

   Make crust: in a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and pulse 15-20 times until mixture looks like coarse sand and holds together when squeezed. Cold butter gives flaky shortbread; soft butter gives greasy.

3. 3

   Dump into the pan and press firmly into an even layer, especially into the corners. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup.

4. 4

   Bake 20-22 minutes until pale gold at the edges. Do not skip this par-bake.

5. 5

   While crust bakes, make filling: whisk eggs, granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl until fully smooth, about 1 minute. Let sit 5 minutes so foam rises, then skim foam off with a spoon (this prevents a cloudy top).

6. 6

   Reduce oven to 325°F. Pour filling directly over the hot crust — hot crust + warm filling means the bottom stays crisp.

7. 7

   Bake 22-28 minutes until the center barely jiggles when the pan is tapped. Edges should look set; centers jiggly. It firms as it cools.

8. 8

   Cool in the pan 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 2 hours (ideally overnight) before slicing — warm curd is soup.

9. 9

   Lift out using the parchment handles. Dust heavily with powdered sugar and slice into 16 squares with a knife wiped clean between cuts.