You could feed me a lemon dessert (pie, cookies, cakes … you name it) at pretty much any time of the year, but it is an especially welcome addition to a summer meal or afternoon tea. The tanginess of the lemons is deeply refreshing in the hot weather and the cheerful lemony yellow colour adds a bright pop to any table.

Since you probably don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen in the hot weather, you can try your hand at making lemon bars. Not only are they easy and quick to whip up, they are also very versatile. You can serve them with whipped cream or even ice cream for an after-meal dessert, or dusted with icing sugar for a teatime treat.

Lemon bars are a combination of a shortbread crust and a lemon curd or custard topping. They are especially popular in the US, where they are an absolute must-have at bake sales in particular.

Like most popular foods, the origins of lemon bars are unclear. However, both the elements used in this dessert have been in circulation for some time. The Scottish shortbread originated in the 12th century and the English lemon curd was a 19th century invention. Culinary scholars believe that the bars were probably invented in America in the early to mid 20th century, when bar cookies — date bars, brownies and cheesecake bars in particular — were gaining popularity.

It’s fruity… it’s zesty… it’s the lemon bar — the perfect dessert for a hot summer day

The first known lemon bar recipe was printed in the August 27, 1962 edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune, and was submitted by one Eleanore Mickelson in a column titled Today’s $5 favourite. In contrast to modern recipes, which use several eggs and significant quantities of lemon juice (and even lemon zest) for richness and flavour, Mickelson’s recipe used just two eggs and three tablespoons of lemon juice.

In 1963, the big guns, aka Betty Crocker Inc, got into the game and published a lemon bar recipe, and from then onwards lemon bars became a firm American favourite.

Although lemon bars are very easy to make, as always, there are a few tips to make them melt-in-your-mouth perfect:

Make sure you bake the shortbread crust until it is golden brown. Although most shortbread is only baked until it is pale, in this case it is important for the crust to brown so that lemon custard doesn’t soak into the shortbread. Otherwise you will simply get a dry and chewy lemon bar.

Don’t over-whisk the eggs. It is important that you only lightly whisk the eggs for the lemon filling. Over-whisking them will give the finished product a meringue-like thin crust on the top (similar to brownies) and that is not ideal in a lemon bar!

Don’t over-or under-bake the bars. Follow the temperature and time instructions for baking, but also use your eyes to check when the lemon curd is perfectly set, ie not overly jiggly, but also not over-baked.

Lemon bars

Shortbread crust

142g butter
38g icing sugar
164g flour
2 pinches of salt

Lemon filling

252g caster sugar
1.5 tablespoons lemon zest
25g flour
2 pinches of salt
2.5 eggs (126g if you like weighing your eggs)
100g lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminium foil leaving an overhang on two sides and grease the foil.

Make the shortbread crust: Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth and mix in the sugar until creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the flour and salt and mix until a dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the sides and centre are golden brown.

It is very important to bake the shortbread until it is golden brown. If you under-bake it, the lemon filling will soak into the crust, and you will have dry lemon bars.

Make the lemon filling: In a bowl, use your fingers to rub the lemon zest with the sugar (this helps to release the oils in the lemon zest for extra flavour). Stir in the salt and flour. Lightly whisk the eggs (don’t over-whisk) in a separate bowl and add to the sugar mix in two lots and mix well with a spatula. Slowly add the lemon juice and mix until just combined.

Pour the lemon filling over the warm shortbread crust and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the sides and centre are set and there is no jiggle in the centre. Cool at room temperature and then cover and refrigerate for a few hours before cutting into squares. Sprinkle liberally with icing sugar after slicing.

The writer is a professional pastry chef with a diploma in pastry from Le Cordon Bleu

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 29th, 2022