Lemon Bars with Salty Shortbread Crust

These lemon bars are what we think about when it becomes springtime. I like this recipe because you do not need equipment and it all bakes in one pan.

Shortbread Crust Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp vanilla salt

2 cups, plus 2 Tbl all-purpose flour

Lemon Filling Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

6 Tbl all-purpose flour

6 large eggs

Zest of a lemon

1 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

½ tsp vanilla sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 325°F Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out. Set aside.

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 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). This helps the filling stick and holds the crust in place.

Make the filling:

Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, zest, salt, vanilla and  lemon juice and whisk until completely combined.

Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. Cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate.

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. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.