Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

May 2014 Baking Partners challenge Swathi raised the bar by choosing bar recipes. So this time around we are baking  Lemon bars. 

This month challenge is suggested by Suja of Kitchen corner try it.  You can use any fruit, and any topping since this was my first time I decided to stick to the recipe. Is it possible? Well I changed my pan. Instead of the 9’ square pan I used the loaf pan which is 9 x 4 inches. That will account for my thick bars. Also my bars fell in love with my tin so much they refused to come out for  a pic. So you see my lemon muffins here. Guess I should have greased the tin a bit more.

Lemon Bars

Recipe source: The Secrets of Baking, Sherry Yard and The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle

Ingredients: 

Basic short crust recipe:

• 1 ¼ cups maida/all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 113 grms Amul butter cut into half inch cubes

For the filling:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tblspn lemon zest
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup lemon juice
•  ½ cup condensed milk
• 3 tblspn all purpose flour
•  1/8 tsp salt
• 2-3 drops yellow food colour
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

To make the crust:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
• Butter your baking pan and set aside. Should have line pan with aluminum foil.
• If you have a food processor use it to mix flour, sugar and salt. Else use a whisk.
• Add pieces of butter and pulse 8-10 times till the mixture resembles coarse meal, if you are like me doing it manually use your fingertips.
• Process until the mixture forms large clumps and holds together when pinched between two fingers (around 15-20 seconds). Mix and try to bring the mixture together with your hands.
• Scrape dough into prepared pan and pat it into an even layer.
• Using a fork prick the dough at one inch intervals.
•  Bake the crust for 20 minutes till the edges become golden brown. I needed 30 minutes.
• Allow this to cool in the pan on a wire rack.

To make the filling:

• Pulse sugar and lemon zest in a processor / mixer till it is fragrant.
•  Beat eggs and mix the sugar and whisk till it is pale yellow colour.
• Add the condensed milk, lemon juice, flour and salt.
• Pour over the baked crust.
• Bake at 180°C for18-20 minutes or until just set and firm to touch.  I needed about 30 minutes.
• Cool in room temperature and the place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before cutting into bars.
• To finish dust the top of each bar with powdered sugar and serve.
•  Store lemon bars tightly warped in room temperature for two days or in the freezer for one week.

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