Lemon Bar Recipe | Hallmark Ideas & Inspiration (2024)

FAQs

Why didn t my lemon bars set? ›

Ratio of Liquid to Thickener: If the recipe doesn't have the right balance of eggs (which act as a thickener) to liquid (lemon juice), the filling won't set properly. Solution: Ensure your recipe has enough eggs to set the lemon mixture. A good rule of thumb is about 2 large eggs per 1/2 cup of lemon juice.

A sharp, serrated knife is the best choice for cutting lemon bars. The serrated edge helps to cleanly slice through the crust and filling without crushing or crumbling the bars.

Lemon Filling – In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in lemon juice and zest. Add flour and whisk until completely blended. Add filling and Bake – pour filling over the warm crust and bake at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes until the center is set and no longer wobbly.

Reprinted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Copyright 1999 by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publisher.

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).

Why are my lemon bars brown on top? Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer periodically to make sure the settings are correct. If you find that your desserts brown too quickly on the top, bake on a lower rack in your oven to prevent this from happening.

Why do Lemon Bars smell eggy? The recipe contains a large amount of eggs but this shouldn't make them have an eggy texture of smell eggy. Make sure you haven't skipped out on the zest and are using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavour.

Cracks - Cracks happen a lot when either when the lemon mixture if beaten a lot or you bake your bars at too high of a temperature and take them out of the oven. The dramatic change in temperature will sometimes create these cracks. They do not affect the taste, and you can cover it with powdered sugar.

Throw them back in the oven at the original baking temperature. Keep an eye on them; rotate every five minutes or so. Once the lemon has set up (doesn't jiggle) they should be done.

Seeing a thin whitish foamy layer of air bubbles on top of your baked lemon bars is completely normal. It is the air bubbles created from whisking the eggs rising to the surface during baking. Lemon bars taste the same with or without that layer and a dusting of icing sugar covers it right up!

Why is there a crust on top of my lemon bars? ›

The crust forms when the sugar in the lemon bar mixture caramelizes and browns during baking, creating a slightly firm, crispy layer over the bars. The top crust isn't always visible, as we all enjoy sprinkling powdered sugar on top of the bars before serving.

Fresh Lemon to Lemon Juice Conversions

1 1/4 Lemons = 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice. 2 1/2 Lemons = 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice. 4 Lemons = 3/4 Cup Lemon Juice. 5 1/4 Lemons = 1 Cup Lemon Juice.

Betty Crocker Delights Supreme Lemon Bars Mix, 16.5 oz. - BettyCrocker.com.

Origin and history

The first widely published lemon bar recipe was printed in the Chicago Daily Tribune on August 27, 1962, and submitted by Eleanor Mickelson.

The one meal Ina simply couldn't live without is roast chicken. She even cites it as one of the reasons her husband, Jeffrey, proposed marriage in 1968.

Runny lemon bars - This is a common issue for people who are making lemon bars for the first time. Usually, it just means that you need to bake your bars longer. If your bars seem to brown at the edges, you can cover them with aluminum foil and turn down the heat.

A custard with both eggs and starch needs to be thoroughly cooked. The reason is that yolks contain an enzyme which liquidifies starch. It doesn't happen outright, but will happen while your tart is cooling. The only way to prevent it is to heat the mix high enough so the enzyme is deactivated.

Why is my lemon curd not thickening? Make sure to cook the curd until thickened and bubbling. Stir it frequently with a rubber spatula or whisk to make sure it doesn't get lumpy. Once it's cooked, add cold butter and stir until it melts and becomes smooth.

Air bubbles are completely normal when making lemon bars. These little white bubbles are simply trapped air rising to the surface. If your lemon bars have air bubbles, you can easily cover them with a dusting of powdered sugar. Zest first, juice second!