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Lemon Curd Bars Recipe

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4.2 from 4 reviews

These lemon curd bars are a zesty and bright treat, combining a tangy lemon curd filling with a crumbly, buttery shortbread crust. Simple to prepare with just 5 main ingredients, they make a perfect dessert or snack that’s refreshing and delightfully sweet.

Ingredients

Shortbread Base and Crumble

  • 295 g plain flour (all purpose flour) (2 ¼ cups / 10.4 oz)
  • ⅔ cup white sugar (134 g / ~4 ¾ oz)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 200 g unsalted butter, cold (7 oz), divided into 30 g and 170 g portions

Filling

  • 1 cup lemon curd (260 g / ~9 ¼ oz / 250 ml)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced) or 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking tin with baking paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal of the bars.
  2. Melt Butter: Melt 30 g (about 1 oz or 2 tablespoons) of the butter until just melted. Set it aside to cool slightly, so it doesn’t cook the flour mixture when mixed.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the plain flour, white sugar, and salt until combined evenly.
  4. Incorporate Cold Butter: Using the large side of a box grater, grate the remaining 170 g cold butter directly into the flour mixture. Gently rub the butter pieces into the flour with your fingertips or use a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with small butter pieces visible.
  5. Add Melted Butter: Stir in the melted butter using a fork and your hands, mixing until the dough clumps together but remains crumbly. You should be able to squeeze it into a clump.
  6. Divide Dough: Set aside one-third of the dough mixture for the crumble topping. Press the remaining two-thirds firmly into the base of the lined baking pan to form an even layer.
  7. Bake Base: Bake this base layer in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, allowing it to set and begin to firm up.
  8. Cool and Add Filling: Remove the base from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled slightly, spread the lemon curd evenly over the base layer.
  9. Add Crumble Topping: Crumble and scatter the reserved one-third dough mixture evenly over the lemon curd layer to form a crumbly topping.
  10. Final Bake: Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is just beginning to turn golden brown.
  11. Cool Bars: Allow the lemon curd bars to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. After cooling, you can either leave them in the pan or use the baking paper to lift them out and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • For best results, weigh ingredients where weight is provided for accuracy.
  • Make sure the butter grated into the flour is cold to ensure a crumbly texture.
  • Lemon curd can be homemade or store-bought, but quality lemon curd enhances flavor.
  • Cooling in the pan helps the bars set properly before slicing.
  • Use baking paper to lift bars for easy removal and clean slices.

Find it online: https://recipeplenty.com/lemon-curd-bars-recipe/