Meyer Lemon Bars

Friday, May 18, 2012

Meyer Lemon Bars
Meyer Lemon Bars

My folks have a Meyer Lemon tree in the backyard. Thus, lemons galore! When life gives you lemons, you need to make some lemon bars!

I adapted a recipe from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich. Oh, by the way, the FTC says I'm supposed to disclose that the link to Alice's cookbook goes to Amazon. I'm in the Amazon Affiliate program where I get a few cents if you click through this link and buy stuff on Amazon (don't worry, I never know who buys what so you can add that Fifty Shades of Grey to your cart too). Anyway, I have to tell you this with all the links now! Oy vey. And what do I do with those few cents? I plow them back into Amazon buying cookbooks...so the cycle of Amazon is complete.

Meyer Lemon Bars
I really like the crust. It'll be my go-to lemon bar crust from now on. It uses melted butter and is super easy to assemble. The "blob" (yes, I think that is a baking term) of dough gets pressed into the bottom of the pan. Because it is "wet", you can get a really smooth surface. I used an off-set spatula to spread and smooth out the crust. The crust is on the thinner side...if you like a big, hardy crust, then this one may not be for you.

Lemon Week 2011
Here's a photo of my mom and dad last year holding their Meyer Lemons!

Meyer Lemon Bars
I increased the amount of lemon juice from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup. I like a big, thick layer of lemon on my lemon bars!

Meyer Lemon Bars

Meyer Lemon Bars
My yield was 25 bars (cut 5 x 5)
Adapted from by Alice Medrich's "Very Tangy Lemon Bars 2.0" (page 182) of her book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies


Crust:
7 Tbsp unsalted Butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
¾ tsp  vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (4.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour

Topping:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (I used 7 ounces of sugar because Meyer lemons are milder than regular lemons. Alice suggest using 4.375 ounces but I missed that note in her recipe!)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (I didn't measure my zest...used zest from two Meyer lemons)
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained (Alice Medrich's recipe calls for 1/2 cup juice, but I just kept squeezing my juicy Meyer lemons and just threw all the juice into the bowl!)

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil or parchment (create a sling for easy removal).

Crust: In a bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the pan (I used a small offset spatula). Bake 25-30 minutes until fully baked and golden brown.

Topping: While the crust is baking, stir together sugar and zest until damp. This will release the lemon oils. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the eggs. Add lemon juice and zest and stir until combined.

When the crust is baked, turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees. Slide the rack out and pour the filling over the hot crust. Baked for an additional 20-25 minutes until center no longer jiggles. Let cool completely in pan before slicing. (I tightly wrapped and refrigerated my bars overnight)

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14 comments:

Eliana said... [Reply to comment]

These look absolutely gorgeous and super delish Mary. Wish I was enjoying a couple of these bars right now.

connie said... [Reply to comment]

How beautiful! I recently made orange squares...they definitely did not look as pretty as yours. Love the picture of your smiling parents, how adorable.

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

I loved this crust too though I think I used it as a base for something else. Maybe cheesecake bars? These look awesome, makes me wish I had a lemon tree!

Barbara Bakes said... [Reply to comment]

How lucky to have a lemon tree in their backyard. I pinned this one to try.

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

Oh my I would pick ALL the lemons in the world for a piece of that now! So nice, have a lovely day!

Azusa said... [Reply to comment]

Beautiful, Mary! I love the rustic dish!

Christine Witt (Brush Dance) said... [Reply to comment]

Yum! We moved into our new home last year and have a tree full of Meyer lemons. Last year, all we managed was some lemonade (omg, good). Will have to try these for a summer gathering.

fransa86 said... [Reply to comment]

This looks wonderful but it is difficult to locate Meyer lemons in my neck of the woods (NC). How would you suggest adapting this with regular lemons? Would it be the same amount of lemon juice? Thank you!

Bernideen said... [Reply to comment]

These look wonderful and delish......

The Food Librarian said... [Reply to comment]

@fransa86 The original recipe is FOR regular lemons...I adapted it for my Meyers! :)

Esi said... [Reply to comment]

I remember those meyer lemons fondly. The bars are fantastic!

fransa86 said... [Reply to comment]

Yay! That is perfect!

Liz said... [Reply to comment]

I love this recipe and will make it the next time my mom sends me a USPS flat rate box full of Meyer lemons from her yard in Oxnard. Seeing your photo of your parents again makes me think of mine and how much I miss them. Being in Colorado makes this girl very homesick for her folks...and their Meyer lemon tree!

Elizabeth said... [Reply to comment]

I wish I knew where to buy Meyer Lemons. I love them. I'm desperate to make this recipe!

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