I’ve been having my very own little lemon competition ever since I acquired a Meyer lemon tree. Meyer lemons aren’t well-known in France (but), though I’ve a sense as soon as folks get a style of their candy, extremely perfumed juice, we might begin seeing them increasingly more.
An identical kind of citrus as known as bergamots in France, that are botanically a bit completely different than the bergamots that individuals could be used to. (There are fairly just a few varieties of bergamots.) However the ones in France are sometimes labeled citrons doux, or candy lemons, and people are just like Meyer lemons.
One factor that doesn’t fairly translate, at the least when it comes to language, are Lemon Bars. They’re not a cookie nor are they a cake, though in French they might in all probability fall into the gâteaux class, which encompasses quite a lot of baked items. One of the best I can provide is to name them Carrés crémeax au citron or Carrés au citron, if you end up within the place of explaining them, as I discover myself in. (Though everybody in France who has tried them, loves them.)
The excellent news is that these Lemon Bars, which use your entire lemon, might be made with normal tart lemons (Eureka lemons) or Meyer lemons. I like them each methods. And now that I’ve acquired a Meyer lemon tree of my very own, I’ve extra decisions!
Lemon Bars
Ideally you wish to use an unsprayed or natural lemon because you’re consuming the peel and rind. If you’re utilizing Meyer lemons, that are sweeter than Eureka lemons, scale back the sugar within the topping to 2/3 cup (130g.) Lemons, in fact, range in dimension: Mine was 6 ounces (175g), however getting it shut is affordable sufficient.
Servings 9 servings
Crust
- 1 cup (140g) flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (115g) melted unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Topping
- 1 lemon, natural or unsprayed
- 1 cup (200g) sugar, or 2/3 cup (130g) if utilizing candy lemons
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 giant eggs, room temperature
- 4 teaspoons corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (45g) melted unsalted butter
- Elective: powdered sugar, for serving
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
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Overturn an 8-inch (20cm) sq. pan on the counter and wrap the skin snugly with foil, shiny aspect up. Take away the foil, flip the pan over, and match the foil into the pan, urgent to nudge the foil into the corners. Easy the foil as greatest you possibly can and frivolously butter the floor, or spray it with nonstick spray.
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In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup (50g) sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 8 tablespoons (115g) melted butter, and vanilla, stirring simply till easy.
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Easy the batter into the underside of the pan, utilizing your arms to get it as stage as doable.
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Bake the crust for 25 minutes, or till it’s deep-golden brown.
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Whereas the crust is cooking, lower the lemon in half, take away the seeds, and lower the lemon into chunks.
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Put the chunks of lemon in a meals processor or blender together with the sugar and lemon juice, and let it run till the lemon is totally damaged up. Add the eggs, corn starch, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and three tablespoons (45g) melted butter, and mix till nearly easy. (A number of tiny bits of lemon items are high-quality. It would not should be completely easy.)
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When the crust comes out of the oven, scale back the warmth to 300ºF (150ºC). Pour the lemon filling over the recent crust and bake for 25 minutes or simply till the filling stops jiggling and is barely set.
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Take away from the oven and let cool fully. As soon as cool, fastidiously carry out the bars utilizing the overhang of foil as a deal with. Minimize the bars into squares or rectangles. Sift powdered sugar excessive simply earlier than serving, if desired.
Storage: The bars will preserve in an hermetic container at room temperature as much as three days. You may freeze the lemon bars as properly for as much as one month, letting them come to room temperature earlier than serving.
Associated Hyperlinks and Recipes
Notice: Within the put up, there are photos of the Lemon Bars with each the gingersnap crust (the darker ones close to the start of the put up) and the bars I made with the common crust (proven on the finish), which I most popular.
