As a lemon fan, citrusy desserts are my absolute favorite… and these Lemon Bars are no exception. They are zesty, tangy, chewy and delicious. In addition to all this yumminess, today I dropped in a mix of berries for some extra tartness and to contrast the yellow with the beautiful berry color. If you don’t have any on hand or are simply not in the mood for berries (I don't know how this could happen, but for the sake of argument), just leave them out and you will have equally delicious Lemon Bars.
These bars are baked in two stages, first we blind bake the crust (baking the crust without the filling), we then add the filling and bake again.
A very important tip I must mention is to remember to allow the crust to cool for a bit after the blind bake. By doing so you ensure the eggs don’t give out the eggy smell we unfortunately suffer from in some countries. Also the teaspoon of vinegar will help with this, and please use good quality eggs preferably free range.
Another important tip is to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. You know how sometimes I mention that something is optional in the recipe and you have the freedom of not doing it... this is not the case here. Fresh lemon juice is a must, it makes a world of difference.
Ingredients:
For the crust: للعجين
- 1 cup flour كوب طحين
- ¼ cup powder sugar - ربع كوب سكر بودره
- Pinch of salt - رشة ملح
- 1 stick of butter, room temp (100 grams) - 100 جرام زبده
For the filling: للحشوه
- 3 eggs - 3 بيض
- 2 teaspoons vanilla - 2 ملعقه صغيره فانيلا سائله او ملعقه فانيلا بودره
- 1 teaspoon vinegar - ملعقه صغيره خل
- 1 cup sugar - كوب سكر
- 3 tablespoons flour - 3 ملاعق كبيره طحين
- ½ cup lemon juice - نص كوب عصير ليمون
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest - ملعقه صغيره برش ليمون
- Any berry you like(or a mix of all, frozen is fine) - توت من اختيارك طازج او مثلج
*Start by making the crust. First mix the dry ingredients, flour, salt and sugar.
*Blend in the butter and vanilla with the tips of your fingers then kneed to form a dough ball.
*Spread the dough in a baking dish lined with baking paper… this will make it easier to remove and cut once it is cooked. Use a 25x20 pan. If you want to use a bigger pan, double the quantity of everything.
*Bake in a 180* oven for 10-15 minutes until sides are slightly golden (This we call blind baking: baking the crust without a filling)
*While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Whisk the eggs in a bowl with the vanilla. Add in the sugar and whisk again. Add in a teaspoon of vinegar. This is for the sole purpose of removing any egg odor after it cools down.
*Whisk in the flour and then finally the freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest.
*When the crust is out of the oven, wait for it to cool down a bit before you pour in the egg and lemon mixture. This is again to avoid any egg odor once it is cooled.
*Once it cools down, spread as many berries as you want. Use whatever you have available.. these are not essential. You can totally make the recipe without them, I only add them in for color and the drama effect. Also everyone knows by now how much I love tartness and cranberries are pretty tart (use what berry you like, blueberries, blackberries or even strawberries). Pour in the mixture over the crust and berries and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until it sets.
*When it’s done, take it out and let it cool.. feel free to refrigerate if you like.
*Dust with powdered sugar before serving and enjoy. These are absolutely delicious, fresh and zingy. The best desert to serve after a heavy meal or after any meal for that matter.