Best Lemon Bars
Serves 4 to 6
- 1 cup 5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup 1 3/4 oz granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup 7 oz granulated sugar
- 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg plus 3 large yolks
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 2/3 cup lemon juice 4 lemons
- 4 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- confectioners' sugar (optional)
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
- Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide.
- Lay sheets in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of the pan.
- Push foil into corners and up sides of the pan, smoothing foil flush to the pan.
- Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
- Add melted butter and stir until combined.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into an even layer over the entire bottom of the pan.
- Do not wash the bowl.
- Bake crust until dark golden brown, 19 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- While crust bakes, whisk sugar, flour, cream of tartar, and salt together in now-empty bowl.
- Whisk in eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain.
- Whisk in lemon zest and juice.
- Transfer mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in butter.
- Strain filling through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl.
- Pour the filling over hot crust and tilt pan to spread evenly.
- Bake until the filling is set and barely jiggles when the pan is shaken, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Let bars cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours.
- Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to a cutting board.
- Cut into bars, wiping the knife clean between cuts as necessary.
- Before serving, dust bars with confectioners' sugar, if desired.
Lam, Lan. "The Lemoniest Lemon Bars." Cooks Illustrated March & April 2018: 23.