lemon bars

These are tricky, I won't lie. And, very lemony. But, Ina Garten's recipes are usually winners, so thought I'd give the recipe a shot. I found cutting them into bite size pieces was the perfect dose of lemon for me, but they seemed to lose their form in such small bites. It was difficult to know for sure when the filling was "set" as the recipe suggests. I also think I whisked my filling just a little too much, as it got a little bubbly and frothy, and as a result, the tops of my bars were a little white. Good thing they're dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Surprisingly, my daughter Clare loved these. She tried to share her love with a friend, but her friend wasn't sold by the bars. I served the majority of them for a staff appreciation lunch for my kids' school and I got a kind note from one of the staff. They were gone, so hopefully, another good sign. Next time I make them, I may tweak the level of citrus. See what you think - enjoy!

Lemon Bars
(adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

For the crust:

•1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•2 cups flour
•1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

•6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
•3 cups granulated sugar
•2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
•1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
•1 cup flour
•Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling,

whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles or bite size pieces and dust with confectioners' sugar.