lemon bars

Recipe by
Annastiina Salonen
Vanhalinna, Varsinais-Suomi

Lemon bars are a dessert of an American origin with a shortbread crust and a filling made out of lemon zest and juice. I have given this recipe a twist of my own though since I've used potato starch for this version. There was a plenty of it in the pantry. The result is a very smooth crust and very moist and fresh filling. The recipe felt like it was worth saving. I have also written this recipe in Finnish, here: https://www.kotikokki.net/reseptit/nayta/850336/Sitruunapalat/

yield 12 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 2 Hr
method Bake

Ingredients For lemon bars

  • CRUST:
  • 200 ml
    wheat flour
  • 100 ml
    potato or corn starch
  • 100 ml
    powdered sugar
  • ¼ tsp
    salt
  • 110 g
    butter, room temperature
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla extract
  • FILLING:
  • 300 ml
    sugar, granulated
  • 50 ml
    potato or corn starch
  • 25 ml
    lemon zest, finely grated
  • 125 ml
    fresh lemon juice
  • 4
    eggs

How To Make lemon bars

  • 1
    1. Line a small square baking tin with baking paper. The thinner the crust, the softer it will be as the lemon juice gives it moisture. 2. Only grate the yellow zest of the lemons, not the bitter white part. Then use the juicer to to collect the juice. I have gotten enough of both from two lemons.
  • 2
    1. Heat the oven to 175°C. 2. Mix the wheat flour, potato starch, powdered sugar and salt with each other in a bowl. Add the room temperature butter with vanilla extract. Rub and pluck until you get an even crumb. 3. Evenly press the mix onto the bottom of the paper lined tin and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes until it has slightly browned.
  • 3
    1. While the crust is being baked start making the filling: first mix the sugar and potato starch, then add the lemon zest. Mix until the sugar is evenly light yellow. 2. Pour in the lemon juice and eggs. Whisk the filling as even and clump free. 3. Pour the filling over the still hot crust and tilt the baking tin just to make sure that the filling gets evenly on every corner. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes.
  • 4
    1. Let the pastry cool for an hour in the room temperature and two hours in the fridge. 2. Cut the pastry into bars of a wanted size with a damp knife, sprinkle on some powdered sugar through a sieve and enjoy. Lemon bars will keep in the fridge for four days in a closed container and three months in a freezer.
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