Lemon Slice Recipe: rich and lemony, these buttery Lemon Slice bars will take you back to the glass case at the old-fashioned bakery. Fresh lemon juice & zest give spectacular flavor!
Well spring has finally sprung in New Hampshire and summer is not so far off. Fresh lemons and all things citrus remind me of springtime. Last week I had Old Fashioned Fresh Squeezed Limeade on the brain and this week I’m baking with fresh lemons. That mouth puckering tart and sweet, lemony flavor are irresistible this time of year.
Do you have fond memories as I do of standing in front of a glass bakery case as a child? The glass case I remember most vividly was at Gregg’s Restaurant in Warwick, RI. Gregg’s has been voted many times “best desserts in all of Southern New England”, and I don’t doubt that is truth.
The glass dessert case at Gregg’s was a round refrigerated one, taller than me, that slowly revolved. After dinner, every kid in the place would end up there, gawking and wide-eyed, as the immaculate case filled with whipped-cream dolloped slices of pie and cake, eclairs and every kind of cookie and bar known to man slowly revolved. Today, Gregg’s is still most famous for their enormous eclairs – “large homestyle eclairs filled with our own fresh Bavarian cream and topped with thick, rich, dark chocolate fudge frosting.” In a word, the eclairs at Gregg’s are heavenly.
I don’t find myself standing in front of a glass bakery case all that often these days. In fact, I avoid them like the plague – because I have great difficulty resisting the pies, cakes, cheesecakes and pastries that whisper my name. But if I do find myself in that delicate situation – I’m on the lookout for one of two things: Raspberry Crumble Shortbread Bars or these old-fashioned Lemon Slices. (FYI, The King Arthur Store in Norwich, VT has a lovely pastry case filled with irresistible fresh, homemade cookies and bars.)
My mom and I have been been making this Lemon Slice Recipe for as long as I can remember and they’re so easy to make too. This recipe makes a big panful. The slices are thin, buttery and crunchy and it’s hard to stop at just one.
Cut the butter into the flour and sugar with a pastry blender as you do when making pie crust. When all the butter is incorporated evenly (but the mixture is still crumbly), press the dough evenly into the bottom of a parchment lined cookie sheet that has sides. Bake in the oven. Meanwhile, beat eggs together with sugar, lemon juice and zest. Remove crust from the oven and pour the lemony egg mixture over hot crust. Bake until the top is just turning golden brown. Cool, then cut into triangle shaped wedges. Dust with powdered sugar.
Tips for making this Lemon Slice Recipe:
- Use a parchment-lined cookie sheet with sides – I used a jelly roll pan that is 11″ X 17″.
- Pay close attention to the size of your baking pan. If it’s smaller than mine – your bars will be thicker. And if the pan is larger, they’ll be thinner. These bars are good thicker, but I don’t think you’ll want them much thinner, so I don’t suggest using a larger pan. You’ll definitely need to adjust baking times for a different size pan – a smaller pan will take longer to bake and a larger pan bakes faster.
- Use fresh lemons for fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Once cool, cut into squares and then in half again for triangles.
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
- These freeze well – I make a panful and freeze half in a freezer zip-loc bag for later.
Lemon Slice Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
Lemon Filling
- 4 large eggs well beaten
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 - 3 tablespoons lemon zest grated lemon rind
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Crust
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar.
- Cut in 1 cup butter with a pastry blender (or with a fork )as if for a pie crust.
- When butter is evenly incorporated and mixture is still crumbly, press into a parchment-lined cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with sides. I used an 11" X 17" pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 325° or until crust is just turning golden.
Lemon Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Add in sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Fold in flour and baking powder.
- Pour/spread lemony egg mixture evenly onto hot crust.
- Bake an additional 25 minutes at 325° until bars are just turning golden.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Cut bars into large squares and then in half into triangles.
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
You may also like: Candied Lemon Cheesecake
Louise Achor says
They look fabulous!
Karen says
My salivary glands are actually puckering!! I’ve got to go buy a lemon!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
These look AWESOME! And now, not only am I craving one of your lemon-y treats, I’m craving a giant eclair :). Hope your week is going well, Allie!
Luci's Morsels says
These look beyond tasty! I absolutely love citrus based recipes for the summer, so refreshing!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Ben Myhre says
mmmm… I happen to have some extra lemons I need to use up. I think I have found my tasty goodness for the day!
Adina says
I adore any kind of lemon cake and these bars look incredible, I can totally imagine their taste and consistency. And if you say that both you and your mother have been baking them for so long, then I will have to make them myself.
Tracy says
Your pictures are just gorgeous! And these squares are so incredibly delicious! Lemony deliciousness! Thank you for inviting me to be a taste tester. ?Timing is everything!!? Lemon squares bring back childhood memories for me too. I had a children’s cookbook that my cousin gave me. Inside was a recipe for lemon squares. So I would make them often as request by my family!! I haven’t made tbem in years. These squares are even better!
Allie says
Thank you so much Tracy – yes, timing is everything!!! Fun to think of you making lemon squares from your children’s cookbook through the years! You were a baker even way back when. Wishing you a wonderful weekend! XOXO
puja says
Oh, how can I forget those golden memory when Me and my younger brother would stare at that glass case in the roadside bakery and wish that everything inside that could be ours and then that eye contact with my Dad and telling him to buy us one of those, all through a secret language using our eyes and without uttering a single word.
BTW lovely recipe Allie. 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh, yes! I certainly have those memories of standing in front of a glass dessert/bakery shop. This lemon slice looks so delicious, Allie. Love how rich and lemony, and these buttery lemon slice bars are. Indeed they would take you back to the glass case at the old-fashioned bakery. I so want these spectacular lemon slices in my life!
Ben Myhre says
Just made this and it was really good. I had some strawberries that were on the edge, so I made a make shift ice cream with them. NOM NOM.
Eva says
J’adore les desserts de citron en été et tes bars de citron on l’air tellement gourmands ! J’aurais bien aimé un petit morceaux tout de suite avec mon café matinal! Bonne journée ma chère Allie! xoxo
Agness of Run Agness Run says
This is a refreshing treat. Perfect for the hot summer days, Allie!
Catherine says
Dear Allie, I would say that Spring was as long as winter! I’m so glad the weather is finally beginning to warm up a bit. These lemon bars look soft and wonderful…a perfect treat to welcome summer with. I’ve always loved lemon bars too. I hope all is well dear…enjoy the warm weather and sunshine. xoxo, Catherine
Shashi at Savory Spin says
Haha, Allie – I try to stay away from those glass cases too as I share your same problem 🙂 But – I do have a sweet tooth so I have a rule – in my own city I stay away from the bakeries cos easy access in case I like something and only make an occasional trip to a coffee house – but when am in a new city all best are off and I out myself in front of as many glass cases I can!
And speaking of glass cases and bakeries, this here exquisite lemon slice belongs in such a glass case – so luscious!
xoxo
bottle flip says
This cake is very aromatic because lemon taste. I enjoyed and often makes both his home.
vex 3 says
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slither io says
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Michele says
Can I mail these bars?