Let’s talk lemon squares. My first introduction to these was as a kid when I was at a friend’s house (we’re still friends, not doubt we bonded over a mutual love of lemon squares) and she served me Lucy’s Lemon Squares. I always assumed Lucy referred to Charlie Brown’s Lucy, but now I’m not certain.
They were buttery little squares with a sweet tangy lemon filling and an almost crunchy top that rises to the top that’s made from sugar and eggs. I was captivated! Mom was a fabulous baker, but lemon squares were not part of her repertoire.
I got the recipe from my friend, I’m sure I still have it in a childish scrawl in my ancient recipe box and made them over and over. Try as I might I could never replicate hers. I was never able to get that crunch top, at least not consistently. Both of our mother’s had good old fashioned gas ovens, but my oven refused to bake them like hers.
Years later when Laura and I opened Bombar’s, lemon squares were a staple, and making the same recipe over and over again for years at a clip teaches you a few things! I’m still not consistent with getting that kind of crunchy top but I discovered you are more likely to get it if you beat the eggs and sugar for a long time. I like an almost browned butter taste to the shortbread crust, so I cook it longer. And I like thick filling, so that’s what I do, fill it with extra filling. In California we have the good fortune to be loaded with lemon trees. Most of the trees in Oakland are Meyer lemons, which are very sweet and delicious, but if you’re a hardcore lemon fan you may want to use Eureka’s which are very tart. And be sure to finely chop the lemon zest or the strips of lemon zest will give you uneven edges when you cut them into bars. Lastly I think lemon squares are best eaten room temperature. If you’ve made them ahead, let them come to room temp before eating them.
After decades of messing around with the recipe, here’s where it lands.
Crust:
12 oz. butter, room temperature
1 ½ C flour
1 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
Filling:
3 C sugar
6 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 t lemon extract
Juice from 6 lemons
Zest, chopped fine from 3 lemons
Heat the oven to 375
Butter or oil a 9×9 pan
For the crust combine the butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Moosh together with your fingers, it’s ok if it’s crumbly. Pour it into the prepared pan and press evenly all over the pan and a ½-inch up the side (this makes it easier for you to get it out of the pan).
Place the pan in the oven and bake about 20-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
While the crust bakes make the filling. In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, extracts, and juice. If you’d like to try and get a touch of sugary crust on top, beat on high with a wire whisk until light and fluffy and frothy. Whisk in the zest.
Once the crust has baked, remove it from the oven and gently and carefully pour the filling over the crust, return to the oven and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until the filling only jiggles a bit when you jostle the pan. Don’t overbake because the filling is primarily egg based and when you over bake eggs the filling will become watery as it cools.
Allow the lemon bars to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Makes 12 lemon bars.
