Lemon Bars

. Words can't describe the weekend I just experienced.  Gorgeous.  Beautiful.  Family.  Sunny.  Laughs.  Kiddies.  And, of course, best friends.

Brit and Tim's wedding was on Saturday up in Minnesota, on one of the most perfect [weather-wise] days you could imagine.  Let's just say upper 60s, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky, are just a few descriptors of the blissful October wedding day.  Everything came together seamlessly, I really can't recall one hitch in the day!  Tim was a dashing groom, but I have to say that Brit absolutely stole the show.  She was a STUNNING bride, I can't think of any other way to describe her. 

The church was beautiful and the reception was unbelievable.  First class, no question.  Cozy, yet fancy, and the room was filled with people there to celebrate this extra-special couple.  Cheesy or not, the love for these two was absolutely overflowing and I know everyone could feel it.  Gosh, take me back, please!

Don't worry, I will be posting pictures like crazy of the entire day [you'll probably be annoyed by the end of it all!], it was just way too special of a day not to share with everyone.  And I figured that since I'm on cloud nine coming off the weekend, I wanted to share a very 'happy' dessert with you all.  Cue in, Lemon Bars!

Lemons, lemons, lemons.  What to say about lemons?  Well, one thing's for sure, I don't use them enough.  But I think I may have made up for it in this one dessert alone.  I mean, using [lotsa] lemon juice and [lotsa] lemon zest has to count for something, right?  Right.

I made these little citrus goodies a couple of weeks ago for our office's 'farewell day' for two of our co-workers.  It just so happened that one of the ladies leaving our department was the organizer for these days and I quickly offered to be her successor [which means I basically tackled her the millisecond she mentioned someone was needed to take over her duties].  It's really not a big deal, but it means that I get to help organize treats for the little events and we all know that's what I love to do!

So to all of the lemon lovers out there, I have the treat for you.  These Lemon Bars are basically a classic lemon bar, but amped up.  And homemade.  Which is most always the better version, in my humble opinion.

The bar starts out with a very simple and slightly plain tasting [yet flaky and tender] crust.  But don't worry, because the top layer is the kicker and makes up for all of the flavor in these bars of goodness.  Seriously, lemon-ey heaven!  The lemon topping is creamy and citrusy and the combination of the soft crust and [generous] dusting of sweet, powdered sugar makes for a very rich, delectable treat.  Enjoy! .

My Notes:

• The recipe calls for a 12x18-inch sheet pan, but I didn't have that size.  So I opted to use a 15x11-inch pan instead, which created a rather thick crust (I did not mind this one bit!) and thicker filling.  Personally I didn't have a problem with it, but I do think the original pan size would make the perfect crust-to-lemon-filling ratio.
• To get all of the zest used in this recipe, I used about 4 medium lemons.
• Make sure to mix the lemon topping very well!  I apparently didn't do a great job at this, and ended up having little pieces of egg whites across the top.  The taste wasn't altered at all, but it wasn't exactly pretty.  And we're all about presentation!

From The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 c. unsalted butter, softened

4 c. all purpose flour

1 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Lemon Topping:

2 c. sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 c. lemon juice

6 tsp. grated lemon zest

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar.  Add salt, lemon zest and flour; mix only until combined and crumbly.

2.  Spread soft dough evenly in sheet pan.  Using a piece of wax paper, press dough down as flat as possible.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.  Heat oven to 350F and bake crust for 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Set aside to let cool.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar.  Add lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk to combine. 

4.  Pour the lemon mixture over baked crust.

5.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is set.

6.  Dust with powdered sugar and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before cutting.

Serving: 2 dozen large bars