Tall Lemon Bars with a Crisp Shortbread Base

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A deep bakery-case lemon bar: a press-in shortbread base baked until genuinely sandy-crisp, then flooded with a hot, strained lemon curd so the two layers fuse instead of leaking. The filling is nearly twice as thick as a standard bar, set gently at low heat so it slices clean, stays glossy, and tastes like real lemons rather than sugar. Fresh juice only, plenty of zest, and a whisper of salt to keep it bright.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270 g)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (226 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400 g)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (40 g)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from about 5 lemons)
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (240 ml, from 5–7 lemons)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting
• Flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with two crossed sheets of parchment, leaving overhang on all sides so you can lift the slab out later. Do not grease under the parchment — the paper should sit flat against the metal.
2. Make the base: in a food processor, pulse the 2 1/4 cups flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and vanilla and pulse in 1-second bursts, 20 to 25 times, until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when squeezed. (By hand: rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips for 3 to 4 minutes.)
3. Scatter the crumbs evenly in the pan and press firmly with the flat bottom of a measuring cup, working from the center out and building a barely raised 1/4-inch lip around the edges — that lip keeps the filling from creeping underneath. Prick the base all over with a fork.
4. Bake the base for 24 to 28 minutes, until it is uniformly deep golden at the edges and no longer pale in the middle. A fully baked, dry crust is the whole difference between crisp bars and soggy ones. Leave the oven on and reduce the temperature to 325°F (165°C).
5. While the base bakes, make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together to break up lumps, then whisk it into the eggs until completely smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
6. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the corners, for 6 to 9 minutes, until it thickens slightly, steams, and reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer. It should coat the whisk like thin cream — do not let it boil. Off heat, whisk in the 3 tablespoons butter until melted.
7. Strain the hot filling through a fine-mesh sieve directly into a pitcher or bowl, pressing the zest against the mesh to extract flavor, then discard the solids. Skim off any surface foam with a spoon so the finished top is glassy.
8. Pour the hot filling over the hot crust as soon as it comes out of the oven (if the crust cooled, warm it 3 minutes first). Return the pan to the oven and bake at 325°F for 22 to 28 minutes, until the surface looks matte and set 2 inches in from the edges and the center jiggles as a single soft unit when nudged — about 175°F (79°C) at the center.
9. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the filling is cold and firm all the way through. Rushing the chill is what causes ragged, smeared slices.
10. Using the parchment overhang, lift the slab onto a cutting board. Trim 1/4 inch from each edge for clean sides, then cut into 24 bars, wiping the knife with a hot damp towel between every cut. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving and finish with a few flakes of sea salt if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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