Lemon squares - Eat Well Recipe - NZ Herald (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to cutting lemon squares? ›

To ensure even and clean cuts, it's helpful to score the lemon bars before cutting them fully. This means lightly marking the desired shapes with your knife or spatula without applying too much pressure. This step acts as a guide and prevents the crust from crumbling or the filling from oozing out when cutting.

Underbaking: This is the most common reason for gooey lemon bars. The filling needs enough time to set, which can be tricky since oven temperatures can vary and the visual cues for doneness are subtle. Solution: Bake the bars until the filling is just set and no longer wobbles when you gently shake the pan.

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).

Ingredients. Recipes vary slightly, but lemon bar recipes call for lemon juice, and many suggest fresh squeezed. Other ingredients include butter, white sugar, flour, eggs, and salt. Many recipes also list confectioners sugar, also called powdered sugar, for dusting on the top after the bars are baked.

Prepare your chef's knife for cutting by coating with cooking spray and then wiping it clean with a paper towel. This step will help prevent the knife from sticking to the bars as you cut.

After your lemon bars have cooled, lift your parchment paper and move the dessert to a cutting board. Once your lemon squares are safe and secure on the board, you can finally cut them into squares.

Serving: Lemon bars are fine to keep out at room temperature for up to 6 hours or so. Storing: Store cooked lemon bars or leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days. Make-Ahead: You can make lemon bars up to two days in advance.

Yes, it's best to store lemon bars in the refrigerator. To store them, simply cover them with plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge. Stored this way, your lemon bars should keep for about 1 week.

Make sure you haven't skipped out on the zest and are using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavour. Make sure your oven isn't too hot as this can cause the eggs to scramble instead of baking into a delicious lemon bar.

Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freezing Instructions: Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Cut the cooled bars (without confectioners' sugar topping) into squares, then place onto a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour.

How many lemons make 1/3 cup juice? ›

A lemon produces between 1/4 and 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed juice. That equals about 4 to 5 tablespoons per lemon. To get the maximum amount of liquid from the fruit, microwave the lemon for 10 seconds before cutting and squeezing.

Lemons are best kept in the fridge. Stashed in the fridge in the crisper drawer or on a shelf, fresh lemons will keep for two weeks or more. If you really want your lemons to last, keep them in a sealed container (there are even specialty produce keepers for this purpose) or a resealable plastic bag.

The USDA says that you can safely keep lemon bars in the fridge for seven days, but The Kitchn recommends consuming the bars in three days. If you've made a whole batch just for yourself and can't finish all your lemon bars in a few days, another option is freezing them.

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To Keep Powdered Sugar from Melting, Add Cornstarch

So go slow and be conservative with the amount of cornstarch you add. A good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for every 1/4 cup of powdered sugar used.

Dip the knife in the water, wipe it off with the towel and trim approximately ¼' from all sides of the baked good in order to create straight and even edging. Dip, wipe the knife again and continue to slice into the bars creating an even cut.

Make the Cut

Once you've dipped your knife in hot water and wiped it dry, quickly cut into the cake. When using a serrated knife, press into the cake and slice slowly using a gentle sawing motion while pressing down. Repeat on both sides of the slice and use a cake server or large offset spatula to remove the slice.