Fresh Lemon Bars

This is an easy, fresh lemon bar that uses no artificial flavors -- but relies instead on a full cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. You'll keep this recipe!

Heat oven to 350F and line a 9" x13" baking dish with parchment paper and sprayed with non-stick spray.

MAKE THE CRUST/BASE. In a food processor, add everything below and pulse until well blended. 

• 300 grams (2.5 cups) of all-purpose flour
• 66 grams (2/3 cup) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1.5 cups (12 tablespoons) of salted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

Once well combined, press into your 9" x 13" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until just lightly browned. 

MAKE THE LEMON SUGAR. Meanwhile, while the crust is blind baking, add the following ingredients and pulse until the sugar is a light yellow color. 

• 4 tablespoons of lemon zest. TIP: zest your lemons before juicing them!
• 600 grams (3 cups) of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

ADD THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS TO THE LEMON SUGAR TO CREATE THE BAR MIXTURE. 

• 8 Large eggs (one large egg without the shell weighs about 50 grams, so 8 large eggs should weigh about 400 grams). 
• 240 ml (1 Cup or 8 fluid ounces) of Freshly squeezed lemon juice. Yes, it's worth the effort. 

When the crust is done after 20 minutes of baking at 350 degrees (F), pull it out of the oven and set it on the counter. Now, pour all of the bar mixture onto the hot crust and return to the 350 degree (F) oven and bake for 25 minutes. If your oven is uneven, rotate your pan once, at about 12 minutes into the baking time. 

NOTE:  Unlike some lemon bar recipes, these bars will be lightly browned on the top. That's intentional, so trust the timing. Your bars will seem a little loose (aka "wiggly"), but trust the process and let them cool on the counter. They'll actually keep baking for about 5 more minutes right there on the counter. 

Cool the bars for an hour on the counter, followed by two more hours in the fridge. Trust me. Be patient. 

After the three hours of cooling, dust the bars with powdered sugar and cut into bars using a clean, sharp knife. TIP: Be sure to use a clean, damp cloth to wipe your knife clean after each cut. The bars will be prettier. 

You can keep these bars, wrapped individually, in the freezer, so you truly don't have to eat them all at once. Plus, they make a nice "surprise" you can pull out of the freezer when company pops in.