I’m writing this blog post from the beautiful island of Aruba, a little blip in the south Caribbean that I have come to learn boasts an abundance of sunshine and a dependable breeze almost all of the time. It’s truly a perfect place to celebrate my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary with the whole family. The two of them have been coming here to vacation for years, and they explained that they’ve never experienced more than a few minutes of rain in all of the time they’ve spent here since their honeymoon trip in 1979. This makes sense; while I originally imagined Aruba to be a tropical island, upon arriving here I realized that it’s actually home to a dry and dessert-like climate. So, rather than lush tropical vegetation covering the island like some other Caribbean islands I’ve traveled to in the past, the sands of Aruba are scattered with cactus hedges, some up to 30 feet tall.
Seeing all of the cacti lining the Aruban roads and beaches and made me start to miss my own planties, which I left in the care of my plant-expert friend, @atribecalledplant. Before I left, I half-joked that they would probably be receiving the best plant care of their short little lives while in her hands. She replied, “Oh don’t you worry, I’m planning on fertilizing all of them at some point too.” For a plant mama like myself, that was music to my ears.
In return for her baby(plant)sitting services, I made her batch of lemon bars, a dessert that has been long-requested from my lemon-loving friend. I’d never made them before, so I figured for my first shot I would follow Sally’s Baking Addicition’s recipe pretty closely. They turned out pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. The shortbread crust was buttery and soft, while the lemon curd layer was tangy and flavorful. A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top balances the tartness of the lemon with a touch of sweetness. I know I’ll be making these bars again and again, and I think you should gather some lemons and see for yourself why @atribecalledplant told me that her boyfriend ate “like five” of them the very night I gave them to her.
Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Lemon Filling
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup lemon juice about 4-5 lemons
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325°F . Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 glass baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out. Set aside.
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Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
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Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until completely combined.
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Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. Cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled.
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Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction