Snack: Lemon Bars

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose fl our
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
6 oz (1. sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 13-inch baking pan, line it with parchment paper or foil, letting the ends hang over, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Make the shortbread crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients and mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until just barely golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Cool the crust completely in the pan. While the crust is cooling, make the lemon filling: Combine the sugar and fl our in a medium bowl. Add the eggs and whisk to form a paste. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine. Pour onto the crust. Bake until the filling is set, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting. Cut into bars and dust lightly with confectioners' sugar. Lime Bars: Replace the lemon juice and zest with equal amounts of lime juice and zest.
Reprinted with permission from Cookies at Home with the Culinary Institute of America, by The Culinary Institute of America, copyright (c) 2011. Published by Wiley.