My momma’s 65th birthday is on Saturday. I adore my mom and will openly admit that she is my soulmate. My mom loves crossword puzzles, daffodils, Civil War trivia, iced tea with LOTS OF ICE, coffee with LOTS OF CREAMER, NFL football, her iPad, using emojis in her communications with me (which warms my heart), the color yellow, Snoopy, country music, and lemon bars.
She really loves lemon bars.
So what better treat to make for her big day?
I found this recipe on Pinterest, which was originally named “Sunburst Lemon Bars.” I changed it up because sunshine is a cuter word — and my mom is the sunshine of my life.
Sunshine Lemon Bars
A sweet, zesty, and cheerful treat!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp. grated lemon peel
For the Filling:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. grated lemon peel
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Note:
- You’ll need about 2 lemons for all the juice + peel necessary in this recipe.
Instructions
Make the crust:
1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat flour, sugar, butter, and peel on low speed until crumbly.
3. Press mixture evenly in bottom of 13×9-inch pan (I sprayed my pan with Pam nonstick spray).
4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown.
Make the filling:
1. Meanwhile, in large bowl with wire whisk, lightly beat eggs.
2. Beat in remaining filling ingredients except lemon juice and lemon peel until well blended.
3. Beat in 1/4 cup lemon juice and peel.3.
4. Pour filling evenly over warm crust.
5. Return to oven; bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until top is light golden brown.
6. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make the glaze:
1. In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough lemon juice for desired spreading consistency until smooth.
2. Spread glaze over cooled bars.
3. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator, but allow bars to come to almost room temperature before serving.
Notes
Your yield will depend on how big or small you cut your bars.
