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–+ servings

Brûléed Meyer Lemon Bars

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A fun twist on tradition lemon bars, these are made with meyer lemons and topped with a thin caramel shell.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Rest Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 16 bars
Calories 256
Author Annalise Sandberg

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (230 grams)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
  • ⅛ teaspoon coarse salt

For the filling:

  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
  • ⅔ cup fresh meyer lemon juice (about 3-4 meyer lemons)
  • Zest of 3 meyer lemons
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (83 grams)
  • Additional sugar , for bruleed topping

Instructions

To make the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined.
  • Press the dough into the prepared baking pan and chill for 30 minutes. Bake until just beginning to turn golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

To make the filling:

  • Whisk together the eggs, sugar. lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour in a medium bowl. Pour into the cooled crust and bake for 5 minutes past when the middle has set (test this by giggling the pan, if the center does not move, it is set), or 30-35 minutes total.
  • Let cool for about 30 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To brûlée the lemon bars:

  • It's best to work in small batches, so slice them into servings first. Sprinkle sugar on a few bars at a time and use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize it. You may also use your oven broiler, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn.
  • Brûlée right before serving for best results. Store lemon bars in the fridge.

Notes

Notes:
  • If you'd like to skip the bruleed topping (though you shouldn't), simply dust the bars with powdered sugar once they have cooled.
  • If you cannot find meyer lemons at your grocery store, you may substitute regular lemons. If you do, increase the sugar to 1 ⅓ cup.
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg