Lemon Meringue Pie Bars function a crunchy crust, lemon bar filling, and pillowy meringue topping! Recent lemon juice and lemon zest give these bars loads of lemon taste.
Lemon Pie Bars
Lemons had been on sale final week, so I stocked up and went to work making a bunch of recent lemon recipes! I purchased over 15 kilos… so put together your self for an onslaught of lemon recipes. First up? We’ve received basic lemon meringue pie bars!
They’re tremendous lemony, baked till evenly golden brown, and topped with probably the most scrumptious melt-in-your-mouth meringue. And bonus: they’ll preserve within the fridge for as much as 48 hours! So you’ll be able to have them able to serve for dessert properly prematurely.
Substances for Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
- Butter: Unsalted butter works greatest, however in a pinch you need to use salted. Simply omit the salt known as for within the recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: Do NOT scale back the sugar in any a part of this recipe. I examined this recipe obsessively to make sure it’s not overly candy. And used the smallest quantity of sugar attainable to take care of correct texture and style stability. Lowering it extra will have an effect on style and texture.
- All-Function Flour: Once you measure your flour, make sure you use a digital scale or the “fluff and scoop” technique. Which implies fluffing your flour up within the container, then very evenly spooning it into the measuring cup till it’s overflowing. Use a knife to stage it off.
- Cornstarch: Additionally know as corn flour. That is a vital ingredient, so don’t omit or exchange.
- Salt: Desk salt or tremendous sea salt will work right here. Salt helps improve all the flavors on this recipe, whereas balancing sweetness.
- Lemons: Make sure you have loads of giant, heavy lemons readily available. As they have a tendency to yield probably the most juice and zest!
- Eggs: You’ll use entire eggs in addition to egg yolks and egg whites. Tip: It’s simpler to separate eggs whereas they’re chilly. Then you’ll be able to depart them at room temperature, for about 20 minutes, earlier than utilizing.
Find out how to Make Lemon Meringue Pie Bars?
- Put together the Pan: Preheat oven to 350 and line a sq. baking dish with parchment paper.
- Make the Crust: Press the crust into the the ready baking pan and bake till golden brown. Cool utterly earlier than including the lemon filling.
- Make the Lemon Filling: In a big bowl, make the lemon filling. Then pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake. Cool the bars utterly on a wire rack.
- Make the Meringue Topping: The important thing to an awesome meringue is to observe the recipe EXACTLY and take your time. Be certain you’ve got a handheld electrical mixer that goes as much as excessive pace. That is important for beating the meringue till stiff peaks kind! You’ll have about 1 and 1/2 cups of meringue topping, which is lots to cowl the bars.
Instruments for This Recipe:
- 9-Inch Steel Baking Pan
- Citrus Zester
- Citrus Juicer
- Handheld Electrical Mixer
- Parchment Paper
Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
Lemon Meringue Pie Bars function a crunchy crust, lemon bar filling, and pillowy meringue topping! Recent lemon juice and lemon zest give these bars loads of lemon taste.
Substances
For the Crust:
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Lemon Bars:
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 and 1/2 cups (298g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 giant egg yolks room temperature
- 3 giant eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (227ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed and strained via a fine-mesh strainer earlier than use
For the Meringue Topping:
- 3 giant *egg whites
- 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
For the Crust:
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Preheat the oven to 350 levels (F). Line a 9-inch sq. metallic baking dish with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Spray the parchment paper and any uncovered pan with nonstick baking spray. Put aside till wanted.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-speed, scraping the underside and sides as wanted, till gentle and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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Add within the flour, cornstarch, and salt, and beat on medium-speed simply till mixed, scraping the underside and sides of the bowl as wanted. The combination shall be crumbly.
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Press the combination evenly into the underside of the ready baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or till golden brown and set. Switch to a cooling rack to chill when you make the filling.
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Cut back the oven temperature to 300 levels (F).
For the Lemon Bars:
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In a big bowl mix the lemon zest and sugar and, utilizing your arms, rub the lemon zest into the sugar till aromatic, about 2 minutes.
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Add within the flour, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, and eggs and whisk easily. Whisk within the lemon juice till evenly mixed.
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Pour the filling over the crust and return to the oven. Bake till the filling is simply set, about half-hour. Switch the pan to a wire cooling rack and prepare dinner utterly. Then cowl and chill for 1 hour. Or as much as 48 hours.
For the Meringue Topping:
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Fill a big saucepan ⅓ of the way in which full with water. Carry to a simmer over reasonable warmth.
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In a heatproof bowl that matches snugly on high of the pan, whisk collectively the egg whites, sugar, and salt.
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Set the bowl on high of the pan of boiling water and proceed whisking till the combination reaches 135 levels (F) on a sweet thermometer.
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Fastidiously take away the bowl from warmth. Utilizing a handheld electrical mixer, beat on medium-high pace till delicate peaks have fashioned.
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Enhance the pace to excessive and proceed beating till stiff however spreadable peaks have fashioned.
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Unfold and swirl the meringue on high of the cooled lemon bars. Utilizing a kitchen torch, brown the meringue. Slice and serve!
Notes
It’s best to separate eggs when chilly, then let the egg whites come to room temperature.