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Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars are so good! Imagine a buttery, delicious crust underneath a creamy lemon filling and a crispy sugary top.
If you are looking for a delicious and easy dessert to impress your guests, look no further than Ina Garten’s lemon bars. These tangy and sweet treats are made with a buttery shortbread crust and a creamy lemon filling that will make your mouth water.
But first, let’s answer a question — in case you don’t watch the Food Network.
Who is Ina Garten?
Ina Garten is an American author and host of the Food Network show Barefoot Contessa, where she shares her simple and elegant recipes with her fans.
She started her culinary career by buying a small specialty food store in the Hamptons, which she ran for 18 years before selling it and writing her first cookbook. Since then, she has published 12 best-selling cookbooks and won three Emmy awards for her show. She is known for her dishes such as Perfect Roast Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Lemon Bars, and Beef Bourguignon.
Ina is a self-taught cook who learned from reading Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and traveling to France with her husband Jeffrey. She is not only a successful cook and author, but also a former staff member of the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she worked on nuclear energy policy. She is a role model for many aspiring cooks and home entertainers who admire her passion, creativity, and warmth. 🍽️ Check out Ina Garten’s Cookbooks.
About Those Lemon Bars
As I mentioned above, one of Ina Garten’s most popular desserts is these lemon bar, and for a good reason. These bars are perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a picnic, a potluck, or a tea party.
These amazing lemon bars need only some basic ingredients, such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, lemons, and powdered sugar. You will also need a 9 by 13 inch baking pan, a food processor, a whisk, and a sieve. Let’s get started!
Lemon Bar Ingredients
All you need for Ina’s Lemon Bars are some basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, such as butter, sugar, flour (check out our favorite sifters), eggs, and lemons. That’s right, no fancy or expensive ingredients required. Just simple, fresh, and delicious.
The recipe has two parts: the crust and the filling. The crust is a buttery shortbread that melts in your mouth. The filling is a creamy lemon custard that is tangy and sweet. The contrast between the two textures and flavors is amazing.
Trust me, once you try these easy-peasy lemon bars, you will be hooked. They are the best lemon bars ever. You can find the full recipe and instructions below. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Happy baking!
FAQ: Lemon Bars
Can you overcook lemon bars?
The filling should jiggle, like firm Jell-O. If it’s looser than that, you’ll likely end up with runny lemon bars. If they don’t jiggle at all, you’ve overcooked them and they may taste grainy.
Do lemon bars have to be refrigerated?
Well, if you’re planning to serve the bars within 24 hours of baking them, they are fine to be left at room temperature. Any longer than that, I would suggest refrigerating them.
Can I freeze lemon bars?
Yep! You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator when you’re ready to eat them.
How many lemons make a cup of juice?
So, about six lemons should do the trick, depending on the size of your lemons.
Ina Garten's Lemon Bars
Yield: 20 bars
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ina Garten's Lemon Bars are so good! Imagine a buttery, delicious crust underneath a creamy lemon filling and a crispy sugary top.
Ingredients
For the crust:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup flour
Powdered Sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line a 9x13 pan with foil or parchment, and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the flour and salt until dough forms.
Press the dough into the pan, building up 1/2 inch crust on all sides.
Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Chill.
Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except the powdered sugar), and pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature or chill overnight.
Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving.
Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).
Lemon Filling – In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in lemon juice and zest. Add flour and whisk until completely blended. Add filling and Bake – pour filling over the warm crust and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes until the center is set and no longer wobbly.
On very rare occasions, when making lemon bars, the shortbread may rise to the surface. (I've seen this happen once in 20+ years of making lemon bars.) This happens because the filling has found its way to the bottom of the pan, either through cracks in the crust or gaps at the edges of the pan.
Ratio of Liquid to Thickener: If the recipe doesn't have the right balance of eggs (which act as a thickener) to liquid (lemon juice), the filling won't set properly. Solution: Ensure your recipe has enough eggs to set the lemon mixture. A good rule of thumb is about 2 large eggs per 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
Seeing a thin whitish foamy layer of air bubbles on top of your baked lemon bars is completely normal. It is the air bubbles created from whisking the eggs rising to the surface during baking. Lemon bars taste the same with or without that layer and a dusting of icing sugar covers it right up!
If your lemon bars have a strong eggy taste/smell, it's likely due to the lemon curd being overbaked. Be sure to take the lemon bars out of the oven as soon as they're done. Your oven may also be running a little hot.
To Keep Powdered Sugar from Melting, Add Cornstarch
So go slow and be conservative with the amount of cornstarch you add. A good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for every 1/4 cup of powdered sugar used.
A tomato knife is just right for this task. Unlike a chef's knife, which has a blade that is on the thick side, a tomato knife is sharp, but thin and delicate. Meaning, it won't smash or mess up the edges of your lemon bars the way other knives do. With this knife, you will get a clean cut without any jagged edges.
Set a timer for 5 minutes after pulling the crust from the oven to ensure it doesn't cool too much—if the shortbread is allowed to reach room temperature, the uncooked lemon curd will slip off the top and pool in the bottom of the dish, turning your lemon bars upside down (sounds bananas until it happens to you!).
If you are not sure if your lemon bars are done, take a look at their color. They should be light yellow in color, but not pale white. The edges should also be slightly browned. If your lemon bars are too pale or if the edges are too blackened, then they have been overcooked and will not taste good.
Yes, it's best to store lemon bars in the refrigerator. To store them, simply cover them with plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge. Stored this way, your lemon bars should keep for about 1 week.
Separate bars with waxed paper between the layers.Remove as much air as possible and seal tightly.Label all packages with the name of the recipe and the date. Bar cookie, like all baked products, should be stored at 0°F or lower.
You will be able to freeze most cakes. I find that madeira cakes (and their chocolate and lemon counterparts) freeze wonderfully without too much hassle, as do most cakes with a high fat content. It is very important that once your cakes are baked, you leave them to cool completely.
Prepare according to the directions in the recipe, then place into the pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze in the pan, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Alternatively you can freeze the dough in a ziplock bag or plastic wrap, defrost, and press into the pan.
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