Nothing says summer like lemon. Ice cold lemonade, lemon garnishes, and grilled fish with lots and lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Summer means bright colors, and it doesn’t get any brighter than lemon bars.

Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love lemon. I regularly put lemon slices in my water (year-round!) and always have a bowl full of lemons in my kitchen. So it should come as no surprise that this is one of my favorite desserts.

These lemon bars are truly something amazing. Tart, sweet, creamy, and crunchy, that’s the best way to describe these. A classic shortbread crust covered with silky, tart, lemon curd make these the ideal dessert for a lazy summer day.

Over the years, I’ve tried different methods of making both the crust and filling. By adjusting, re-adjusting, and repeating, I’ve finally found the secret to these lemon bars. When I first started making this dessert, I would make the custard, immediately pour it over the pre-baked crust, and bake again until the custard was set. But I’ve learned that giving the custard a head start on the stove before pouring over the crust made for a thicker, more silky lemon bar and I don’t think I’ll ever go back.

A quick note: If you really love a tart lemon bar, or you’re going to be serving these to someone who can’t get enough lemon (like me!), add 2 teaspoons of cream of tarter to the custard. I recently learned this trick to make the custard extra tangy and taste like there is even more lemon in there. I adjust based on who I am preparing this for. But for me, I definitely add the cream of tarter!

Lemon Bars / Limun Kocke

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCuisine: American

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

Crust
1/2 cup (113 g) butter, room temperature
1 cup (120 g) flour
1/4 cup (25 g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (10 g) vanilla sugar
1/4 teaspoon (2-3 g) salt
Custard/Curd
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
Zest of 2 lemons
2/3 cup (160 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (16 g) flour
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (60 g) butter, cold
2 teaspoons (3 g) cream of tarter (if using – optional)
Powdered sugar for serving

Directions

Prepare the Crust
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Use a spatula to mash everything together.
Using your hands, distribute pieces of the dough equally in the pan to form the crust. Press dough into the pan and ensure the thickness is even throughout.
Using a fork, poke holes all over the crust.
Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it just starts to turn brown, but not completely brown.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
Prepare the Custard/Curd
In a glass bowl, using a plastic whisk (preferably), whisk together all the custard ingredients except for the butter.
Once custard ingredients are well combined, transfer the mixture to a nonstick (preferably) saucepan and cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes stirring constantly.
Once the mixture thickens, reduce the heat to low and continuing to stir, cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat and add the cold butter. Stir until butter and custard are combined.
Strain custard through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps and the lemon zest.
Pour the custard over the baked crust and ensure the custard is evenly distriuted. Return to 350 F (175 C) oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the corners slightly puff up and the custard has set completely.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve cold.

Notes

Wipe off your knife with a damp paper towel in between slicing to ensure you get clean pieces.
Using a glass bowl, plastic whisk, and nonstick pot will prevent the metal from reacting with the acid in the lemon juice and having a “metallic” taste.

I hope you’re enjoying the warm weather and staying hydrated. If you decide to give these delicious lemon bars a try, use the hashtag #thebalkanhostess so I can see your creation. Send me a DM with any questions!

Happy cooking!