Lemon Bars -- best recipe

[jayhay]

Ihave to wait until I get home to post the recipe, but for those of you with The Cotton Country Collection (a really great cookbook), look for Lemon Loves. This is a shortbread style square with a lemon topping much like ruthcooks describes. You might notice the name on the recipe. Yes, that is my mom . Those things are really good. I will put the recipe in late this afternoon.

M.M......I'd love to have this recipe, have you posted it elsewhere?

[Majra]

There's a recipe I like on epicurious that has toasted coconut in the crust. I think it calls for sweetened coconut, but I use unsweetened. It's very nice and a bit different from the usual lemon bar.

[brngckn]

The Ultimate Lemon Bar recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaum's Christmas cookie book is very good - shortbread crust with curd topping.

[Patrick S]

Since we have done curd, etc.  how about Lemon Bars?  Has anyone tried Sherry Yard's recipe??

←

I tried Yard's recipe in january and was not won over. I did try the Cook's Illustrated recipe yesterday, and liked it much better. They are actually quite addictive -- I had a hard time staying away from them. I even ate one this morning, and it is quite rare for me to eat anything, particularly anything sweet, before noon.

[wyf4lyf]

Patrick,

Could you post the CI recipe? I have a subscription to their website, but I didn't see it on there when I looked. Thanks.

Nina

[Patrick S]

Patrick,

Could you post the CI recipe? I have a subscription to their website, but I didn't see it on there when I looked. Thanks.

Nina

←

Just type in "lemon bars" in the search field at the top of the CI homepage, and it wil be the second result you get. Otherwise, just click here.

EDIT: Oddly enough, if you search for lemon bars with the words in quotes, you get no result.

Edited August 18, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[chantal]

So Partick, would you say that the CI ones are the best you've tried? I am curious if you had tried any of the others besides Sheryl Yard's?

Wendy, have you tried the CI ones? (btw food processor is fine, thanks ).

I'll try the Martha Stewart ones out, they sound different. I wish I had more people I could give stuff out to. Everyone around me has cholesterol or weight issues. Ugh.

[Patrick S]

So Partick, would you say that the CI ones are the best you've tried?  I am curious if you had tried any of the others besides Sheryl Yard's? 

←

I have not tried very many recipes to be honest. In addition to Yard's and the CI recipe, I have tried a citrus bar from the book Celebrate with Chocolate, which includes a little orange and lime too, and a white chocolate cream cheese icing. They were good too, but I think I like the CI version best, certainly I like the crust better.

[Wendy DeBord]

I've kept quite on this topic because I can't find a link to the recipe I prefer. It was posted in the T & T (tried and true) recipe section of http://www.tauton.com . I got it a couple years back and now I can't seem to find the recipe. They do have a lemon bar recipe listed and it's credited to a different source then the recipe I liked. The one I like was posted by a regular member there. Perhaps we have some cross over members that can locate the recipe I'm describing?

The thing about lemon bars that I find frustrating is find a good recipe that also holds up well with-out refridgeration, one you can stack on a buffet and let sit out for a couple hours. I'd find good recipe and then they become a mess when served........so I kept searching. I've stopped searching and will stay with the one from finecooking/tauton, for now..........

[oli]

I've kept quite on this topic because I can't find a link to the recipe I prefer. It was posted in the T & T (tried and true) recipe section of http://www.tauton.com . I got it a couple years back and now I can't seem to find the recipe. They do have a lemon bar recipe listed and it's credited to a different source then the recipe I liked. The one I like was posted by a regular member there. Perhaps we have some cross over members that can locate the recipe I'm describing?

The thing about lemon bars that I find frustrating is find a good recipe that also holds up well with-out refridgeration, one you can stack on a buffet and let sit out for a couple hours. I'd find good recipe and then they become a mess when served........so I kept searching. I've stopped searching and will stay with the one from finecooking/tauton, for now..........

←

I don't know if this is the one, but it comes from finecooking T&T file.

It makes 1 full sheet pan

*30 oz a/p flour (6 cups)

*1 1/2 lbs unsalted butter(cut up)

*1 1/3 cups sugar

Bring together flour and butter in cuisinart and pulse to resemble a rough cornmeal. Add sugar and mix wel. Press into greased sheet pan and bake at 325 for 15 - 20 minutes until firm but has change colour.

*16 eggs

*8 cups sugar

*1 1/2 cups lemon juice

*5 oz a/p flour (1 cup)

Whisk eggs lightly and mix sugar and flour together in a different bowl. With wooden spoon, stir flour/sugar into eggs be sure not to create air bubbles. Add lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour over shortbread base and bake for about 20 minutes until topping is firm. When cold, cut into portions and sift powdered sugar over top.

Edited August 19, 2005 by oli (log)

[wyf4lyf]

Thanks for posting the CI recipe. It looks great!!

[PPX]

I just discovered this fabulous thread on lemon bars & can't wait to try out the recipes. Now I have question: any tips for producing a beautifully cut lemon square? In the past when i've made them, the taste is fine, but the finished product looks a bit sloppy! I know that refrigerating them makes the cutting neater, but my bars still look messy. Advice anyone?

[Rehovot]

This usually works, for me:

Take a sharp, long knife. Cut. Run the knife in hot, hot water. Towel dry. Cut again.

If you cut on the diagonal, it produces cool diamondy lemon bars, but, better yet, you get all these bits that must be eaten while cutting.

[Lindacakes]

I like Maida Heatter's lemon squares myself.

The smell of the crust alone is swoonacious.

[Fernwood]

I love, love, love the Cook's Illustrated bars the day they are baked, but I am having a problem with the topping weeping when I try to keep them overnight. I suspect it is inevitable that the crust will pick up some moisture, but I am getting such a puddle on the top of the custard that I had to blot with several paper towels before I dared sift the sugar over. This last batch were definitely not overdone and they were well-cooled before they were covered. They were at cool room temp overnight.

Any suggestions? I do feel that there is a temp and/or time discrepancy between the Test Kitchen and mine; both the base and the topping took longer than specified to bake. Next time I think I will try nudging the temp up and letting the topping go a little farther.