Lemon Bars

I love lemon bars. Desserts with citrus in them have the illusion of tasting like a "light" dessert. I think this is finally the lemon bar recipe that I will return to whenever I decide to make them. This is one of those things that I always try a new recipe for, but I have no complaints with how these turned out, except that I ate too many of them.

Lemon Bars

Crust:

1/2 c butter, room temperature

1/4 c powdered sugar

1 c all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

Filling:

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 c fresh lemon juice (approximately 2 large lemons)

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 Tablespoons flour

Topping:

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

For Crust:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just comes together. Press into the bottom of your prepared 8x8 inch pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

For Filling:

Beat the sugar and eggs until nice and smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest. Fold in the flour. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To serve: Cut into squares or triangels and dust with powdered sugar.