Pucker Up!

I am performing in a fund raising Gala this weekend...which means another cast par-tay! Whoot Whoot! I brainstormed with my friend (who just got offered a job dancing in Shanghai! Congrats to Kali!) and she wanted lemon bars. I LOVE lemon bars, but I don't make them that often, for some strange reason. It's probably because chocolate seems to call to me from the beyond. =)

I found a recipe for lemon bars on a new blog I found called My Baking Addiction. The bars use Ina Garten's filling recipe and another shortbread recipe. These turned out really well. I tend to enjoy more filling than shortbread and these definitely fit that bill. There is also a nice balance between the tang of the lemon and the sweetness of the sugar. They also held up nicely after cutting and are patiently waiting in the fridge for me to bring them to the theater to be devoured! YUM!

Lemon Bars
from My Baking Addicion

The Crust:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar, plus more to decorate
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

The Filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease/spray a 9 by 13 baking pan.

Pulse flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch and salt in a food processor. Add butter and blend about 8 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle into baking pan and press down to create crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, combine the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour in a bowl. Pour over the warm crust and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely (I stuck mine in the refrigerator) before dusting with confectioner's sugar and cutting.