Like lemon bars? Try this delicious recipe for Lemon Bars with Candied Ginger in a Shortbread Crust.
“I can’t wait for you to come, Elise. We can cook! We can make pies and cakes and biscuits and more delicious things,” my young friend Alden exclaimed when we spoke on the phone last week.
Between Easter, a Patriots Day parade, and museum visits, we finally got a chance to bake. Reilly (8) and her sister Alden (6) helped me make delicious lemon bars with a candied ginger crust from a recipe in a 1987 issue of Gourmet magazine.
Lemon bars with ginger
ingredients
- The crust:
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1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
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1/3 cup powdered sugar
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1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
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1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
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3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
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pinch of salt
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- The filling:
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3 large eggs
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1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
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6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon salt
method
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Prepare the crust dough:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter. Add 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Beat in half a teaspoon of the lemon zest, the ground ginger, the crystallized ginger and a pinch of salt.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour in portions, 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Continue beating the crust dough until well combined.
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Bake the crust:
Spread the crust batter evenly over the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
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Prepare the lemon dough:
While crust is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, caster sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 3 tablespoons flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until well mixed.
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Pour the batter into the pre-baked base and bake:
Pour the lemon batter over the pre-baked crust.
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden.
If you like, sift some powdered sugar on top as well.
Allow the lemon bars to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 36 pieces.
