Strawberry Lemon Bars
With all of the snow and cold weather that we were getting on the east coast, I couldn’t help but to wish that Spring would arrive sooner rather than later. I absolutely love the springtime and with everything that comes along with the season. I love the smell of the fresh flowers that bloom and fresh cut grass. I love the rain on a warm Spring day. I also love that the weather mellows out so it’s not too cold and not too hot. But most of all, I love the fresh produce that comes with the changing of the season. Strawberries, one of my favorite fruits, are in peak season from mid Spring to early Summer. I love using strawberries in all sorts of recipes, especially dessert. One of my favorite desserts is the classic lemon bar. I have experimented with my lemon bar recipe for a long time to get the perfect balance of sweetness and pucker. One day, I decided to add strawberries into the mix and came out with a delicious twist to a classic recipe. I am so excited to share my Strawberry Lemon Bars with you! I hope they put you in the warm weather spirit. Enjoy!
- [br][b]For Crust[/b]
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- [br][b]For Filling[/b]
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- Powdered sugar, for dusting the top of the bars (optional)
- Preheat an oven to 350°F
- Grease an 8 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Make sure to leave extra parchment at the edges so that you can pull the bars out of the pan easily
- [br][b]To make the crust[/b]
- In a medium bowl (or in your stand mixer), whisk together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, and salt until well blended
- Add the butter and mix until the dough starts to stick together when pinched between your fingers
- Press the dough into the bottom of the baking pan
- Bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes or until it becomes pale golden brown in color
- Set the pan on top of a wire baking rack and allow the crust to cool completely
- While the crust is cooling, make the filling.
- [br][b]Filling[/b]
- Combine sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a medium sized bowl
- Add the eggs and lemon juice, whisking together just until the mixture comes together
- Layer your sliced strawberries onto the cooled crust
- Gently pour the filling over the strawberries
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes
- Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 30 minutes on top of a wire rack
- Remove the bars from the pan using your parchment paper
- Slice into squares and dust with powdered sugar just before serving