Chef John's Lemon Bars

This is definitely the best lemon bar (square) I have ever tasted! I like to add 1/4 teaspoon baking powder to both the crust and the filling. It will help to get those tall, chewy bars (squares). I love how Chef John gives us those excellent tips, such as beating the filling for 2 minutes, and wetting the knife before cutting the bars. Just follow the recipe exactly, and you will get your prize-winning lemon bars (I mean, lemon SQUARES!). Expect lots of complements!

Thanks, Chef John! Oh boy, these are goooood. I've made some pretty good lemon bars in my life, but hubby and I both agree these are the best. The filling is very lemony, with a perfect balance of tartness and sweet. It set up wonderfully. I'm not 100% sold on the crust, as I tend to prefer one a bit more substantial and firm, but that is simply my preference. This crust is excellent, as long as you are aware it is more flaky than firm. Two comments, though, and both on the crust. I'd suggest mixing the salt with the flour first, then adding the butter. I also had a hard time with the finger-wetting bit. The crust kept sticking to my hands. I gave up and dusted my fingers with flour, instead. MUCH easier. EDIT 2/9/14: I made the bars yet again (I've lost count how many times now) and changed the crust a little. Same ingredients, but mixed the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulsed in CHILLED butter cut into pieces (like pastry crust), then lightly pressed it all into the pan. It came out perfect!

This recipe is almost like the one I've made for many years with three exceptions: no vanilla in the crust, only two eggs, and baking soda in the custard. I have to say that I really like how this version turned out and will replace my old recipe with this one. I did double it because I have to gift at least half of it to someone else, and I knew my family would be very sad if they didn't get any. I wish I had a kitchen torch so I could have tried the meringue option! (I do not need another kitchen tool!) Thanks, Chef John, for another winner!

I craved lemon bars my entire pregnancy and the day i finally made this recipe...i went into labor! Im not saying these bars are magic, but im not saying these bars arent magic either. Either way they are the best lemon bars i have ever tasted and i was thrilled to have some left when i came home from the hospital.

I've made this recipe as is many many times. That is what the 5 stars are for. However, now I add 2 teaspoons of freshly grated lemon zest to the crust before I finish blending it. I also increase the curd recipe by 1/2. Now the lemon curd sits about 3/4 of an inch above the crust. It's wonderful.

The flavor of these bars is excellent, and I love that they filled my kitchen with the aroma of lemon pie as they were baking. However, the baking times listed were much too long for my oven. The crust was ready in just 10 minutes, and the custard layer in about 18. I never had the thin, white crust on top as the recipe describes; my custard got light brown and bubbly. The powdered sugar did a fine job of hiding the bubbly, ugly top. The crust stuck horribly to my non-stick pan (I did, indeed, oil it first), so be liberal with the oil or cooking spray. I'll definitely keep practicing with this recipe until I get it right for my oven and equipment.

I have made many lemon bars in my time. For some reason this one is the best. The crust is flaky like my English grandma's tarts and pies. The custard filling delicious and slightly tart. I might add a bit more zest next time to make it even more spunky. This one is replacing all my other recipes.

I made these great lemon bars thank you Chef John! I did make one small change that turned out wonderful. I swapped out the butter in the shortbread crust for cocoanut oil in it's solid form. The taste of cocoanut with lemon was to die for! I have a friend who said she was wondering "if I would ever find a lemon bar I could enjoy... this is a keeper!" Thanks again Chef John and All recipes

I love anything lemon. These are great. I have also changed the recipe for raspberry bars. Instead of lemon juice use 1\4 cup chambord and about 1/2 cup of raspberries.

Fantastic. For one thing, the timing instructions were dead on for both the crust and final product, which is rare in a baking recipe. One more minute would have been too long. The crust makes these lemon bars stand out. This crust has to be handled like a pie crust. If you follow the instructions and don't over work the dough, and very gently press it into the pan (I barely wet my fingers), you will get a delicious, flaky crust. Too much mixing or too firm of pressing will make it more dense. I do not have a good zester, so I used only 1/4 tsp of zest and it was plenty lemony. Final note--I used organic eggs, which tend to have an orange color as eggs are actually supposed to. I was worried that the custard would look too orange as it was quite orange pre-baking, but it turned out bright yellow after baking.

I made this recipe today and thought it was easy and delicious. I did use a slightly different method for making the crust. I used all the same ingredients, but started by putting all the dry crust ingredients into a food processor and pulsing a couple of times to make sure they were well blended. Then I added the vanilla and cold butter cut into pieces, not softened butter. I pulsed until it turned into a crumbly, sand-like texture. I had lined the pan with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking oil. I was able easily to press the mixture into the pan, and didn't wet my finger. It turned out really well that way and was very easy to work with. Once the whole thing was baked and cooled, it was very simple to lift the whole thing out of the pan and cut the bars with no mess or sticking.

Are there more stars to poke??? People, these are a problem! Unless you're ok buying bigger pants or spending an inordinately large amount of time at the gym. I made these for the first time about a week and a half ago. We are now on round 3! Double batches every time. I followed Mary Elizabeth's advice and added the baking powder to both crust and filling. The only other changes I made at all were to use Meyer Lemons and a hand mixer instead of a whisk.. AMAZING. I'm going to find out today what happens when you when turn the shortbread into a crust for a cheesecake and the gorgeous custard for the top layer! Oh, and I'm going to the gym.

We are a household that loves lemon bars, and we love this one! I even made it gluten free, by substituting a gluten-free flour blend, and it was also great. The gluten free blend made the crust very flaky, and we really liked that. No one here even realized they were gluten-free! I love Chef John's recipes; I've always found them to be reliably successful.

My favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie, so when I saw this quick and easy treat that could possibly give me my lemon fix without all the work of a pie, I was all over it! I actually had my 3 and 4 year olds make this all by themselves. (I just scooped the ingredients for them, they poured them in and mixed them and I baked it). These are super yummy and very lemony. You MUST use fresh lemon to get the real lemon flavor.

This was my first time making lemon bars and they turned out perfect! The instructions were very easy to follow and explained how everything would look exactly. 1 reviewer said he added 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the crust and filling. I made two batches so i tried it both ways and both ways turned out great. One was slightly puffier and taller while the other was thinner and dense. It just depends on how you like them but you cannot go wrong with this recipe! Pay attention to the color of the edge to make sure you don't overcook.

These lemon bars are incredibly delicious and borderline addictive. With these lemon bars being one of Chef John’s all time favorite cookies, he has honed this recipe to perfection. Bravo, Chef John!

I love, love, love these lemon bars. Made them as directed except doubled and used a 9x13 pan. Yum! Yum! Very easy too. Did as one suggested and used my food processor for crust ingredients. Second time making them this week.

Flavor was great, easy to make. Not sure what happened but the crust rose to the top and the lemon custard was on the bottom - so I just flipped them over. Why did the crust rise?

This is the best version I've made, and, watch his video on how to make it. Very humorous and entertaining. I'll definitely look for more videos/recipes from him.

Oh so yummy! Perfect just the way it is. I loved the flakiness of the crust. Next time I will double the crust recipe.

This is a very decent lemon bar. The shortbread base is excellent, with good flavor and crunch. The 50/50 ratio of crust to lemon custard was perfect for me. The extra yolk in this version creates a very solid lemon layer, which some might enjoy; I prefer mine to have a little more creaminess or lightness in texture. I would rate the lemon strength as mild. I used Chef John's suggestion to use the extra white for a meringue topping and thought it was a nice touch. My husband and I both thought these tasted better the second day.

Fantastic.

These lemon bars are fantastic! I have made a couple of changes to the process of making them though. I have a really hard time with trying to mash the butter with the flour, so I cut cold butter into the flour with a pastry blender instead, and when I have a crumbly texture I add the other crust ingredients and I work the dough with my hands until I have the slightly crumbly cookie dough texture. I have found the baking times to be too long. I bake the crust for about 18 minutes and then the whole bar for 20-22 minutes. I have baked these using convection and not, and I find the regular setting is actually better. The other change I usually make is to double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking dish because they are so delicious!

The custard was good but the shortbread bottom flaked and wouldn't hold together. It crumbled so much that it made it unpleasant to eat. Also, I like my custard to be gooey... this one was chewy.

Thanks Chef John! I was so worried about these coming out of the pan in one piece but after the first piece (i.e. "martyr" piece), they all came out beautifully and are delicious! I did have to reduce the time baking by 3-4 minutes for both the crust and filling but absolute lemony goodness. It will definitely be a hit at my niece's bridal shower.

Honestly, these are the best lemon bars I have ever made. I love everything about them--the taste, the texture, the proportions, the appearance... The little sugar coating that happens naturally on top is fantastic too because it made them look finished enough to me without even adding the extra sugar (they're sweet enough as is!), and they don't get all stuck together when you stack them. This recipe gets all my stars.

This recipe is simple and delicious. The texture is great and the if you want more lemon flavor, all you have to do is add zest. I rarely complete a recipe without modifying it significantly but this time I only added 2-3 drops of almond extract to the eggs and sugar and cut the sugar down by 1/8 of a cup. Thanks Chef John--this is my go to lemon bar recipe!

these are a hit every time! I have added sea salt to the crust and get good reviews on that as well... always good to bite into a chunk of salt with all the sweetness of the crust and the lemon filling!!

Made these for Easter and enjoyed them quite a bit. Even my son, (who in my opinion, is a lemon square snob), gave them a thumbs up. The qualities for a "good" lemon square is such a personal thing...each person has their own idea of how the perfect lemon square should taste. I actually plan to add a bit more lemon the next time I make these with the hope of tipping the scale towards tartness. Quantity of lemon filling to crust seemed just right.

I will make these again and they are delicious. It took me several tries to get them just right. to be able to work the crust, I had to be very careful not to sure too much flour. It worked best when I used the curved side of the knife to scrape the measuring cup. Watch the video- its very helpful as well! 22 minutes was too high on my oven- crust burned so check your oven often 18-20 was correct in my oven. Don't make the lemon too soon or wait too long. I started it when the crust was almost done and it was perfect. The first time I started making the lemon mixture right when I put the crust in and it set out too long. The bars were ugly. The 2nd time, I waited and let the crust cool a bit and the lemon didn't set- don't do that either! 25 minutes was too long for my oven. I give the recipe 5 stars because its perfect and I didnt change a thing other than baking times really.

When my non dessert eating hubby mentioned liking lemon bars, I thought "Score!". I love how easy these were to make, and how the shortbread wasn't dry or overpowering. The lemon filling was silky smooth. I did use orange zest instead of lemon. Next time maybe I'll try lime, for a little extra kick, as we like the citrus tart more than sugar sweet. Update: we make these often now, but normally double the recipe and sub out half the sugar for honey. It's even better that way!

I made this recipe last night and at first i was a little worried about the dough but in the end it was great. After cooking all of it i put in the refrigerator over night and it was awesome!!!! Ijust cut into it and i have a family of 6 and only 3 peices are left i love this recipe!!!!!! :P

This is the recipe that we use. LOVE IT...You can make it as lemony as you would like...GOOOOOD!

These are delish! The cooking time, for ME, was way off on the crust. I checked it at 12 min. & it was brown around the edges. Glad I just happened to check it before it was burnt. The filling cook time seemed to be spot on.

These are perfect. Double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan. Your family will be thankful you did.

Amazing lemon bars, very fun to make. I added a thin layer of homemade lemon meringue (1 egg white, 2 teaspoons sugar, squeeze lemon juice) on the top of the bars and broiled them for a minute and they turned out great!

Made these as written. The recipe worked well and came out very good. However, the lemon bars were much too sweet for our taste.

The Best EVER! I've made and eaten lemon bars for years, looking for the best one. This is it! Like some others, I reduced the granulated sugar to about 3/4 cup. Lets the lemon tartness come through. :)

best ever!

Compared to other lemon bar recipes i have tried this one is significantly more complicated and time consuming, and produces an inferior product. The crust was hard and severely stuck to the pan, and the filling never fully set up. The ratio of tartness to sweetness was very good though.

I really enjoyed this recipe. Great lemon flavor and lovely consistency of both the crust and filling. I made the meringue for these bars and that was a great topping! I did end up doubling the amount so that I could pipe it well on the top. Next time, I will grease the pan a little better--had some bars sticking. Will make this again and again!

The consistency on these bars is amazing! my only critique is that they're a little too sweet for me so I may add extra lemon juice and zest next time. But otherwise perfect!

These are by far the best lemon bars I have ever had! The shortbread crust makes all of the difference in the world, and the filling is the perfect blend of sweet and tart. They are a little bit of work, only because of using fresh juice and zest, but I cannot imagine them any other way! We love them!! Thank you!!

I followed the recipe exactly with one exception- more lemon juice. I like mine a little more tart, and used one and a half Costco-sized lemons (they're pretty big). It came out to probably about 3/8 of a cup of lemon juice. I always share my baked goods at work, but I couldn't even give these up.

I read tons of reviews before choosing which to make and how to tweak the recipes. This recipe is great! With one minor change.. DOUBLE the lemon curd. Otherwise you end up with 80% crust (not exaggerating). Enjoy!

Very, very good. Simply AMAZING shortbread crust. These are a little on the sweet-side, next time I will double the zest. UPDATE: I have made this recipe 6 times now, and I like to double the ingredients but bake in a 9x9 square pan + add an extra 3 minutes to the baking time. I'm also guilty of adding .5 cups extra powdered sugar to the crust recipe ;)

Just made these lemon squares and they're perfect! The recipe and instructions were all very clear and everything worked out well. I love how they have a strong lemon taste and aren't too cakey like other lemon squares I've had. I'll never have to use a different lemon square recipe again!

This is the first time making lemon bars and my family say its the best they ever had. I did use coconut flour instead but still great results with a hint of coconut, I recommend this to everyone I know who likes lemon bars.

The crust on top is so good. These are the only lemon bars I will make.

I have been searching for the best Lemon Bar recipe for years - I believe I found it! First, the texture of the filling is perfect - not "soggy" or too dry. The balance of lemon tartness is also spot on. The crust is ideal. I baked as directed in timing of the recipe and both the crust and filling were perfect. I took the hint of cutting the edge with a knife dipped in hot water - it worked. I also dipped my small metal spatula in hot water, tapped on paper towel so it was just "damp" to cut the bars - awesome - no pulling half the filling up on the spatula - produced a nice, clean, straight cut. Bottom line - this is my number one go to recipe for Lemon Bars!

Chef John did it again! When I wanted to find a failed proof recipe for lemon square, I go directly to Chef John's. It turned out wonderful. The recipe was very to follow. I did skip pressing the crust with wet hand and the poking using the fork. The crust at the time was very crumbly. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly and I won't change a thing.

Here it is, 2:00 in the morning and I'm making these very lemon bars, for the millionth time. BECAUSE THEY ARE SCRUMPTIOUS! Every time I make them every one wants them, not a crumb left on the plate. The count down begins. 15 minutes and they will be ready. The BFs friends come over and they still talk about the first time I made them years ago. I am making 2 batches tonight and at least 2 more batches for give aways, because people get their felling hurt if I make them and I don't give them some. The list is long. These are a crowd pleaser, and even the newest chef can hit a home run with these. Highly recommend anything chef John does. Thanks for making me famous with family and friends, chef John!

Very easy and absolutely delicious! I added 1/4 tsp of baking powder to both the crust and filling as suggested by another reviewer. These are going into my recipe box.

Truly an amazing recipe. This was my first time making lemon bars and I wasn't disappointed. The picture here doesn't do it justice and if you follow the video yours will turn out perfect. I will make these again and again!!

Amazing!!!

This will replace my longtime favorite lemon bar recipe. I don't know if it is the tiny bit of vanilla in the crust or ? but it is the best lemon bar recipe I have ever used. This time I am making it with lime, because that is what I have on hand. We'll see......

Great tasting, easy to make. Husband loved it! Will make over and over again.

I made these for a colleague who loves lemon bars. They were a real hit. So easy to make!

Came together easily. Per reviewer's suggestion, I added 1 tsp. of baking powder to the crust and filling and got great results.

These are definitely the best lemon bars i have ever eaten and my husband loves them too.

I was given fresh tree-ripened lemons from Florida and wanted to make something that "popped" lemon. This recipe is perfect in every way - down to the timing of the crust and filling. WOW!!!! I did not alter this recipe in anyway as I have a tendency to do! Kudos to you, Chef John. This is a definite repeat and recipe-keeper!

Just made these and they are awesome! My family (1 husband and 5 kids) love lemon bars. I normally do not...but I do love these! A lot of lemon bars I've had just taste kind of bland but not these, just a pure wonderful lemon flavor.

I made it today, it has to be the best lemon bars I've ever had!!

I've eaten lemon bars made by my mom for years, and these are MUCH better (sorry, Mom)! The main thing that's so much better is that there is no weird "whangy" lemon/egg yolk flavor to gross me out. It's just sweet lemony bliss. The second thing that's so much better is the crust. It's texture is just right (I'm big on texture). Otherwise, it's a lemon bar, yummy and not bizarre. My hubby made these for us last night, and they turned out so well, that he's making them again today! Yay!

One of my all-time favorite bake sale goodies, just never checked out recipes before. For this Thanksgiving, decided to Google 5-star lemon bar recipes and Chef Johns had the most favorable reviews. Wow.....awesomely easy! Only needed to buy lemons. Doubled recipe for 9x13 and increased 1/4 to 1/3 lemon juice. That's it....perfect 1st time around and family loved them. Even I couldn't believe I made them.

I have a lemon tree in my yard so I've had to search for as many delicious ways to use them as possible. This recipe is one of my favorites. Normally, I'm not a fan of lemony desserts but I decided to give this one a try because I have hundreds of lemons and my boyfriend also loves lemon bars. Once I made this, I was hooked! Absolutely perfect combo of the lemon and crust. I'm a huge crust lover so I did increase the crust by a third to make it a bit thicker but other than that there are no complaints. Very fresh and not overly sweet.

OMG these are so good! My husband said these were the best he's ever had, and they were super easy! I doubled the recipe, using 2 8x8 dishes and just tried to get as close to halving it between the 2 dishes as I could. Worked great! Thanks Chef John!

These were delicious and certainly reminiscent of lemon meringue pie! I will echo the easy treat comment,no need to make changes. katibird

Perfection. Anyone who says otherwise has only themselves to blame! Like all recipes, you have to know your equipment and adjust accordingly. That said, I had to alter the cooking time on these. I took my "crust" out a couple of minutes earlier than the recipe called for because it was done and my "filling" only took 18 minutes. These are beautiful and delicious. The balance between the sweet and tart is spot on. It was my first time making lemon bars and I can't believe how easy it was to do. I will definitely be using this recipe a lot. Thanks Chef John :)

Overall tasty lemon square. Make sure not to over bake the lemon top; the timing in the recipe is perfect! However my crust was slightly undercooked. Next time I will add an extra minute or so to bake the crust but will definitely be trying this one again!

Like others I found the baking times too long (I have a thermometer in my oven & the temp was correct); I suspect the recipe is extremely temperature-sensitive. Cheap contractor-grade ovens (apartment ovens) typically don't maintain consistent temperature well: temperature drops & heating element activity create an erratic heat environment. This recipe is tasty but more challenging than most to get right without a good oven.

Absolutely scrumptious!! A little tart, a little sweet with a shortbread crust that compliments the filling without overpowering. Thank you Chef John for yet another amazing...but simple recipe!

I followed the recipe exactly. Both the crust and lemon layer were way overdone. The crust was powdery and crumbled apart, and the lemon layer had an ugly brown crust that was hard to camouflage with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. The lemon layer was plenty tart and smelled good (I absolutely love all things lemon), but it was too sweet and too thin. The crust was bland, and with such a thin lemon layer, it dominated each bite. It's not worth tweaking.

I had to make them gluten free. I used Bob's Red Mill Cup 4 Cup (3/4 cup and almond flour 1/4 cup for the crust and cup for cup in the batter). I also reduced the sugar a little, because it's for someone that is not supposed to have sugar and used sugar in the raw. Awesome bars.

Cooking times were a bit too long for my oven but (since that is often the case with my oven) I set my timer to check the dish earlier and it came out perfect! My husband loves lemon bars and this recipe is now one of his favorites!!!

By far the best lemon bar recipe I have ever made. I even doubled the recipe and cooked them on a 10x15 cookie sheet and they were perfect.

I registered especially to thank for this awesome recipe. They turned out amazingly good. They were my first lemon bars I made, and I'm definitely gonna make them again. I added a bit less sugar, cause I like a bit tart lemon sweets. Thank you, Chef John!!!

These were very good! I made them as the recipe stated.

I made these tonight- first time making lemon bars but I love Chef John so I knew these would be excellent! The crust was fantastic and came out perfectly, as did the filling. I love, love, love these! Didn't change a thing, perfect as is. Really impressive! ! Thanks Chef John!

I've never written a review about a recipe before in my life, but this is so easy and so delicious I just had to. I looked around for a good Lemon Bar recipe because I've never made one before. I'm really a Choc-o-laic, my poor husband is tired of it, so I made these at his request. We BOTH are in love with them and I've made these flaky crust Lemon Bars 4 more times since. I'll definitely be making my new favorite desert a regular treat around here.

The crust was too crunchy for me. The lemon wasn't tangy enough and the bars were burned when they came out. It looked good, the crust was perfect but like I said, too crunchy. The lemon custard was bland. Did this recipe right like the instructions said. I put and took the bars out of the oven and they were burned. And I couldn't taste the lemon. It was just bars of nothing.I'm just gonna stick to my regular lemon bar recipe. Did you go to cooking class? Well, this told me that you did not. Yet Chef John does it again.

I am a child cook, and I love to bake, but of all, this is my favorite!I love to eat it!!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! These came out divine and delicious . :D

This is now my favorite thing to make! It's perfectly sweet and satisfies my cravings right away! Not too tart at all. I've made this for friends and they can't get enough of them either. Very simple recipe and doesn't use very much ingredients. If you like sweet & simple, then this is the way to go!

Too good to be true! This is not just good, it's FOOD-ORGASMIC! For the lemon juice, I used 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon. The result was not too tart, not too sweet. Just the perfect balance of lemon flavor and sweetness. Next time though, I will put some parchment paper in my pan. The cookie stuck a little to the sides of my pan, even though I greased it. This recipe will be a regular in my house from now on. Thank you chef John! Another fantastic recipe from you, you're the best! Loved the video too.

I've been baking Lemon Bars for a lot of years and never thought of making a meringue to top them. Always just dusted with powdered sugar. Today I used Chef John's idea of making a meringue topping. They turned out wonderful. Next time I'm going to try this recipe with orange juice and orange zest instead of lemon.

I literally got a marriage proposal over these lemon bars! :) They are absolutely fantastic. The crust is flaky and flavorful, but not too sweet, leaving the glory notes for the lemony custard part. I had a standby recipe that I use, but decided to try something different. So glad I did. This is my new go to recipe for lemon bars.

I've been making these for a lot of years. This recipe is easy to make and uses "on-hand" ingredients. I make meringue with 2 egg whites, spread on top, put under Broiler until toasty brown. VERY GOOD!!

The only thing I changed was I doubled the recipe because I needed more than the recipe said there was going to be but other than that I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect. They were gone by the very next day. And around here when my dad sneaks bites of anything, that means its really good. Have fun!!!

Very tasty but they are kinda flat. Next time I will add baking powder to the lemon filling. Don't make the filling until the crust comes out of the oven as it needs to be freshly whipped.

LOVE!

Thank you for this recipe! My cookies came out absolutely delicious! I used a parchment on the bottom of a dish to avoid any problems.

Delicious- I also mixed the crust in the food processor and it worked great. Filling is delicious- you can tweak it to your taste. I doubled the ingredients and used a 9x13 pan with complete success.

Have made this many times through the years from a recipe I obtained from a local minister.However,she added half a cup of shredded coconut ( I always use the sweetened version ) to the top layer ingredients. In addition, she made a glaze which she drizzled over the warm top made from confectioners sugar ( 1/2 cup) mixed with fresh lemon juice (6-8 tablespoons). I am almost 70, and it is still my lingering favorite even though it has three distinct stages.But...it is worth every minute of prep time.

Oh my!!! You certainly spoiled us with this recipe, it was simply perfect the taste was superb and I love that it had the perfect amount of everything with such simple kitchen ingredients. Definitely a gourmet dessert suitable for the finest of restaurants. I couldn't do the meringue (no torch) but it didn't need it. Didn't bother putting powder sugar either, it was spot on as is. We had a Chef John dinner which consisted of the buttermilk fried chicken, mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, and these lemon squares as dessert. They were the perfect compliment, to the meal, I think my kids are dreaming about them, they had 3rds and my hubby kept going back to them too. Store bought lemon desserts taste miserable to me so I don't ever do lemon anything in a dessert context, but that will change after today. After they cooled down on the counter a bit I placed them in the freezer for about 30 minutes, they are definitely a cool treat, better they warm up in your mouth not your plate.

I was nervous to attempt lemon bars, but gave it a shot, and they came out perfect! Only changes: used cold butter and used my food processor, and didn't have a zester. Otherwise followed to a t, including exact times. I doubled it in a 9x13 pan. Delicious!

Don't know what happened...followed this recipe exactly. I'm a seasoned baker and cook, and I had to chisel these out of the pan!

I bake a lot, and am quite good at following recipes. This did not live up to its 5-star rating in my opinion. I will not invest the time necessary again, to create lemon bars that are simply ok. I made two pans for my husband to take to work. I asked him to taste them, and he said he didn't want to take them in. (I have a reputation to uphold---I am known for my baked goods and other sweets.) What were the problems? The sugar in both the crust and filling caramelized and made it nearly impossible to remove the bars from the pan. The flavor of the crust is bland. (I saw the suggestion to add lemon zest after I had already baked these. I think that might help.) And, to my taste, the filling is too sweet. I plan to keep a few and toss the rest. I will save my calories for something I love.

This was the first time I made lemon bars. And this is the only recipe I will ever need.