These bars are a bit different, in that they are creamier than your average lemon bar. They are more like a dessert, & very delicious. The raspberry really adds the perfect touch. These bars can be a bit difficult to cut but I find that refrigerating them before slicing and using a hot knife helps a lot. The recipe will yield anywhere from 24 to 30 bars, depending on how small you cut them.
Lemony Lemon Bars
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
2-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat at medium high speed until the mixture is creamy and combined. Add the salt and mix to combine. Add one cup of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the second cup of flour and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Put the dough into the buttered pan and with your hands, spread it out into an even and flat layer. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. It should be nicely golden. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Whisk until the mixture is combined. Add the lemon juice, the heavy cream and the lemon zest and stir to combine. Pour the lemon mixture onto the baked crust and put the pan back in the oven. Bake the bars until the lemon filling is golden on top and doesn’t jiggle in the middle (about 30-35 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, you can either cut into bars and serve or refrigerate for up to 2 days. I recommend refrigerating before you cut into bars.
TO ADD THE RASPBERRY POP:
Using a small spoon, scoop out a bit of the center of each bar. Fill the indentation with a bit of raspberry or strawberry jam, that isn’t too sweet. Dust with confectioners sugar, and then serve. Enjoy!
Using a small spoon, scoop out a bit of the center of each bar. Fill the indentation with a bit of raspberry or strawberry jam, that isn’t too sweet. Dust with confectioners sugar, and then serve. Enjoy!