Name: Lemon Crumb Bars Recipe
Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of both the crust and the crumb, all-purpose flour provides structure and a tender crumb. It’s important to measure flour correctly – spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly from the bag, as this can compact the flour and lead to a denser, drier crust. For a slightly more tender crumb, you could consider using pastry flour, but all-purpose flour works wonderfully and is readily available in most kitchens. Using high-quality flour ensures a delicate texture that isn’t tough or chewy.; Unsalted Butter, Cold: Cold, unsalted butter is absolutely crucial for both the crust and the crumb topping. The cold butter creates pockets of air within the dough as it bakes, resulting in a flaky and tender texture. Unsalted butter allows you to control the total amount of salt in the recipe, ensuring the flavors are perfectly balanced. Make sure your butter is truly cold – straight from the refrigerator – for the best results. If your kitchen is warm, you might even consider chilling the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting.; Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar provides sweetness and also contributes to the crispness of the crust and crumb. It caramelizes during baking, adding depth of flavor and a beautiful golden color. While you could experiment with other sugars, granulated sugar is the standard for Lemon Crumb Bars and provides the ideal level of sweetness and texture.; Baking Powder: A touch of baking powder in the crust provides a little lift and lightness, preventing it from becoming too dense or hard. It works in conjunction with the cold butter to create a slightly airy and crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Make sure your baking powder is fresh for optimal leavening power.; Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer and is essential in balancing the sweetness of the sugar and the tanginess of the lemon. It also helps to bring out the buttery flavor of the crust and crumb. A pinch of salt makes a world of difference in the overall taste profile of these bars.; Fresh Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is non-negotiable for authentic Lemon Crumb Bars. Bottled lemon juice simply cannot replicate the bright, vibrant, and nuanced flavor of fresh lemons. The acidity of the lemon juice is what gives these bars their signature tangy taste. Aim for juicy lemons and be sure to strain the juice to remove any seeds or pulp for a smooth filling.; Lemon Zest: Lemon zest, the finely grated outer rind of the lemon, is where the majority of the lemon flavor resides. It adds a concentrated burst of citrus aroma and flavor that goes beyond just tartness. Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the lemons, being careful to only grate the yellow part and avoid the bitter white pith underneath. Zest the lemons before juicing them, as it’s much easier to zest a whole lemon.; Granulated Sugar: Sugar in the filling provides sweetness to balance the intense lemon flavor and also helps to thicken the filling as it bakes. The sugar and lemon juice work together to create a tangy-sweet glaze-like texture within the bars.; Eggs: Eggs are crucial for binding the lemon filling and providing structure. They create a smooth, custard-like texture as the filling bakes and sets. Use large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature for better incorporation into the filling.; All-Purpose Flour (or Cornstarch): A small amount of flour (or cornstarch) acts as a thickener for the lemon filling, ensuring it sets properly and doesn’t become too runny. Both flour and cornstarch work well, but some prefer cornstarch for a slightly glossier filling. If using cornstarch, be sure to whisk it thoroughly with the sugar before adding the wet ingredients to prevent clumps.; Powdered Sugar (for dusting, optional): A dusting of powdered sugar adds a delicate sweetness and a beautiful finishing touch to the baked Lemon Crumb Bars. It’s completely optional but highly recommended for visual appeal and a subtle extra layer of sweetness.

Ingredients

For the Buttery Shortbread Crust and Crumb Topping:

All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of both the crust and the crumb, all-purpose flour provides structure and a tender crumb. It’s important to measure flour correctly – spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Avoid scooping directly from the bag, as this can compact the flour and lead to a denser, drier crust. For a slightly more tender crumb, you could consider using pastry flour, but all-purpose flour works wonderfully and is readily available in most kitchens. Using high-quality flour ensures a delicate texture that isn’t tough or chewy.

Unsalted Butter, Cold: Cold, unsalted butter is absolutely crucial for both the crust and the crumb topping. The cold butter creates pockets of air within the dough as it bakes, resulting in a flaky and tender texture. Unsalted butter allows you to control the total amount of salt in the recipe, ensuring the flavors are perfectly balanced. Make sure your butter is truly cold – straight from the refrigerator – for the best results. If your kitchen is warm, you might even consider chilling the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting.

Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar provides sweetness and also contributes to the crispness of the crust and crumb. It caramelizes during baking, adding depth of flavor and a beautiful golden color. While you could experiment with other sugars, granulated sugar is the standard for Lemon Crumb Bars and provides the ideal level of sweetness and texture.

Baking Powder: A touch of baking powder in the crust provides a little lift and lightness, preventing it from becoming too dense or hard. It works in conjunction with the cold butter to create a slightly airy and crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Make sure your baking powder is fresh for optimal leavening power.

Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer and is essential in balancing the sweetness of the sugar and the tanginess of the lemon. It also helps to bring out the buttery flavor of the crust and crumb. A pinch of salt makes a world of difference in the overall taste profile of these bars.

For the Luscious Lemon Filling:

Fresh Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is non-negotiable for authentic Lemon Crumb Bars. Bottled lemon juice simply cannot replicate the bright, vibrant, and nuanced flavor of fresh lemons. The acidity of the lemon juice is what gives these bars their signature tangy taste. Aim for juicy lemons and be sure to strain the juice to remove any seeds or pulp for a smooth filling.

Lemon Zest: Lemon zest, the finely grated outer rind of the lemon, is where the majority of the lemon flavor resides. It adds a concentrated burst of citrus aroma and flavor that goes beyond just tartness. Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the lemons, being careful to only grate the yellow part and avoid the bitter white pith underneath. Zest the lemons before juicing them, as it’s much easier to zest a whole lemon.

Granulated Sugar: Sugar in the filling provides sweetness to balance the intense lemon flavor and also helps to thicken the filling as it bakes. The sugar and lemon juice work together to create a tangy-sweet glaze-like texture within the bars.

Eggs: Eggs are crucial for binding the lemon filling and providing structure. They create a smooth, custard-like texture as the filling bakes and sets. Use large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature for better incorporation into the filling.

All-Purpose Flour (or Cornstarch): A small amount of flour (or cornstarch) acts as a thickener for the lemon filling, ensuring it sets properly and doesn’t become too runny. Both flour and cornstarch work well, but some prefer cornstarch for a slightly glossier filling. If using cornstarch, be sure to whisk it thoroughly with the sugar before adding the wet ingredients to prevent clumps.

Powdered Sugar (for dusting, optional): A dusting of powdered sugar adds a delicate sweetness and a beautiful finishing touch to the baked Lemon Crumb Bars. It’s completely optional but highly recommended for visual appeal and a subtle extra layer of sweetness.

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Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Crust and Crumb Topping

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9×13 inch baking pan. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later. This parchment paper sling method is particularly helpful for clean removal and cutting.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt for the crust and crumb. Whisking ensures that the baking powder is evenly distributed throughout the flour, which is crucial for even leavening.

Cut in Cold Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. The mixture should have some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Working quickly is key here to keep the butter cold. If using your fingertips, work gently and lift the mixture often to incorporate air. If using a food processor, pulse the ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, being careful not to over-process.

Press Crust into Pan: Measure out approximately 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture and set it aside for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers to press the crust firmly and evenly across the pan. A uniform crust ensures even baking and prevents soggy spots.

Pre-bake the Crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it is lightly golden brown around the edges. Pre-baking the crust helps it to set and prevents it from becoming soggy when the lemon filling is added. While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon filling.

Step 2: Make the Luscious Lemon Filling

Zest and Juice Lemons: While the crust is pre-baking, zest and juice the lemons. You will need about 3-4 lemons to get the required amount of zest and juice. Ensure you zest the lemons before juicing them.

Whisk Together Filling Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and all-purpose flour (or cornstarch) for the filling. This helps to prevent lumps when you add the wet ingredients.

Add Wet Ingredients: Add the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs to the sugar and flour mixture. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be slightly thickened and pale yellow. Ensure there are no streaks of egg yolk remaining.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake the Lemon Crumb Bars

Pour Filling over Crust: Once the crust is lightly golden brown, remove it from the oven. Pour the lemon filling evenly over the pre-baked crust.

Sprinkle Crumb Topping: Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping evenly over the lemon filling. Distribute the crumbs in a way that covers most of the filling but allows some of the lemon filling to peek through for visual appeal.

Bake Until Set: Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crumb topping is golden brown. The center of the filling should be set and no longer jiggly. A slight jiggle is okay, as the filling will continue to set as it cools. The edges of the bars should be golden brown, and the crumb topping should be nicely browned and crisp.

Cool Completely: Remove the Lemon Crumb Bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting. This is crucial! The filling needs time to fully set as it cools. Cooling completely, ideally for several hours or even overnight in the refrigerator, will make the bars much easier to cut cleanly and prevent the filling from being runny.

Step 4: Slice and Serve

Dust with Powdered Sugar (optional): Once the bars are completely cool, dust them generously with powdered sugar, if desired. This adds a touch of sweetness and a beautiful presentation.

Cut into Squares or Bars: Cut the Lemon Crumb Bars into squares or bars of your desired size. For clean cuts, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts, especially if the bars are still slightly warm. If you lined the pan with parchment paper, lift the entire slab of bars out of the pan using the overhang and place it on a cutting board for easier slicing.

Serve and Enjoy: Serve the Lemon Crumb Bars and enjoy the burst of sunshine in every bite!

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 250-300
Sugar: 20-25 grams
Sodium: 100-150 mg
Fat: 12-15 grams
Saturated Fat: 7-9 grams
Carbohydrates: 35-40 grams
Protein: 3-4 grams
Cholesterol: 50-60 mg