Lemon Squares

I did not have to go very far around the world to find this baked good. It is a good old, American classic. Xochi, my lovely roommate and photographer, put in a request that I make these, and I thought that that was a great idea! I picked this particular recipe because it uses more lemon (3/4 cup instead of only 2 tablespoons) than others I found, which give them a real lemon-y kick.

Shortbread and lemon curd are two old English favorites, so there are some theories that lemon bars originated in Renaissance Britain. Most people, though, say that it was a recipe being tested in America and popularized in the 1960s by Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, published in 1963. Bar cookies were popular at this time, and the lemon bars/squares were being published by both cookbooks and monthly magazine cookbook publications.

These lemon squares are so fun to make! I enjoyed making the crust and patting it down into the pan. There is also something extremely satisfying about grating butter. The lemon filling smelled delicious while I was whisking it up. Yum!


I had a small mishap, though nothing crucial. In the instructions it says to line the pan with parchment paper. I took that as just lining the base of the pan, but in actuality the entire pan was supposed to be lined so that the edges wouldn't burn and it can be lifted out of the pan easily. Just a little note.

Lemon Squares

for the crust:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, frozen
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

for the filling:
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x13-inch dish, and line with parchment paper.

2. Make crust: Grate butter on a cheese grater with large holes; set aside. Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter;stir with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture looks crumbly.

3. Transfer mixture to prepared dish; press evenly onto the bottom with your hands. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Bake until slightly golden, 16-18 minutes. Leave oven on.

4. Meanwhile, make filling. Whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and milk. Pour over hot crust.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 F and bake until filling is set and edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Lift out; let cool completely on wire rack before cutting into 2-inch squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Lemon squares can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.