For those who love a basic lemon meringue pie, you’re going to like Lemon Meringue Bars. They’ve the identical brilliant, tangy lemon filling and fluffy candy meringue on high. Every thing sits on high of a wealthy buttery crust, however in a straightforward to slice bar type.
Lemon Meringue Bars
Lemon desserts have all the time been a favourite in our home. The recent lemon taste simply looks like sunshine within the kitchen and are excellent for spring time.
I first made these Lemon Meringue Bars on a heat afternoon after I was craving one thing brilliant and candy.
As a substitute of creating a complete lemon meringue pie, I needed one thing easy and simple to slice. Bars felt like the right selection. They nonetheless have a buttery crust, the tangy lemon filling, and the fluffy meringue everybody loves.
Once they got here out of the oven, the highest was flippantly toasted like lemon meringue pie, and the kitchen smelled wonderful. They didn’t final lengthy!
My lemon meringue bars have grow to be a favourite recipe we proceed to make annually round Easter.
Why You’ll Love Lemon Meringue Bars
- Basic taste in a straightforward type: They style similar to a basic lemon meringue pie, however they’re easy to slice and function bars.
- Nice for sharing: The bars are straightforward to chop and ideal for gatherings, potlucks, Easter lunch, or a household dessert.
- Stunning and spectacular: The golden meringue on high makes them look particular with out being tough to make.
Substances for Lemon Meringue Bars
Shortbread Crust
- Unsalted Butter: Comfortable unsalted butter creates the buttery shortbread crust.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the crust and helps hold it gentle.
- All-Goal Flour: It kinds the dough for the crust.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and retains the crust from tasting flat.
Lemon Filling
- Massive Lemons: Massive lemons make one of the best recent lemon juice and lemon zest for the lemon combination filling.
- Granulated Sugar: Plain white sugar, typically referred to as cane sugar, sweetens the filling the right stability of tart and candy.
- Eggs: Entire eggs provides the filling its clean, custardy texture.
- All-Goal Flour: Helps stabilize the filling so the bars slice neatly and retains all the things from being runny.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the lemon combination and helps them to slice evenly.
Meringue
- Egg Whites: The egg whites are whipped to create the cloud-like meringue topping.
- Cream of Tartar: A easy ingredient to assist stabilize the whipped egg whites.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens the meringue and helps it flip clean and shiny.
The right way to Make Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
Put together the Pan: Warmth your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch sq. baking dish with two small items of parchment paper and put aside. The parchment paper will make for straightforward elimination of the bars as soon as they’re cooled.
Make the Crust: You’ll begin by making the crust. Cream the butter in a big bowl with an electrical hand mixer till clean. Combine within the powdered sugar, then add the flour and salt. The crust needs to be crumbly like a cookie dough or shortbread.
Press and Bake the Crust: Press the dough firmly into a fair layer into the underside of the pan. Attempt to make it good and flat. Bake for about 20 minutes, or till the sides begin to flip flippantly golden brown.
Put together the Lemon Filling: Whereas the crust is baking, zest the lemons into a big mixing bowl. Then juice the lemons and set the juice apart. Add the sugar to the bowl and rub it along with the zest till it smells like aromatic like lemons.
Combine the Filling: Add the eggs to the bowl and whisk all the things collectively. Then add the flour, cornstarch, and the lemon juice you saved earlier. Whisk and proceed beating till the combination is clean and effectively mixed.
Bake the Lemon Layer: Pour the lemon filling proper over the baked crust. Place the pan again within the oven and bake for one more 20 minutes, or till the lemon filling seems to be set.
NOTE: If you will bake the meringue to toast it, I like to recommend including the meringue on high whereas the bars are nonetheless heat and earlier than you slice them. Then bake the bars for five minutes. Let the bars cool fully on a wire rack.
Make the Meringue:
As soon as the bars have cooled, wipe out a big mixing bowl with a bit lemon juice or vinegar. This helps take away grease so the meringue whips correctly. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer till gentle shiny peaks type.
Add the Sugar:
Slowly add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat for about 30 seconds on medium velocity every time you add one other tablespoon of sugar. You need to make sure that the sugar has dissolved fully so the meringue doesn’t weep.
Rub a small little bit of meringue between your fingers to really feel for any little bits of sugar, and hold beating till it feels clean and holds stiff peaks.
High the Bars:
Lower the lemon bars into 16 squares. Switch the meringue right into a piping bag and pipe it on high of the lemon bars. Then use a kitchen torch to flippantly toast the pillowy meringue till it turns a gentle golden coloration.
Methods to Serve Lemon Meringue Bars
- Chilled from the fridge: Serve them chilly for a refreshing lemon deal with on a heat day.
- With recent berries: Just a few strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries on the aspect add coloration and further sweetness.
- On a dessert tray: Lower into neat squares with a pointy knife and place on a dessert tray for events or potlucks.
- As a day deal with: Get pleasure from one with a cup of espresso, iced tea, or Brazilian lemonade for a day choose me up.
The right way to Retailer Leftovers
To retailer leftover lemon meringue bars, first allow them to cool to room temperature. Then place them in an hermetic container and hold them within the fridge.
For those who’re stacking them, lay a bit parchment paper between the layers in order that they don’t stick collectively. They’ll keep recent for about 2–3 days, and so they style particularly good chilled straight from the fridge.
Continuously Requested Questions
Do lemon meringue bars should be refrigerated?
Sure, the lemon filling and meringue each include eggs, so chilling them helps them keep recent and fit for human consumption.
How do I do know when the lemon filling is ready?
The filling will look agency and not jiggle within the heart. It should proceed to set a bit extra because the bars cool.
Can I make lemon meringue bars forward of time?
Sure, you may make them a day upfront. Simply retailer them within the fridge and convey them to room temperature earlier than serving or serve them ice chilly.
Extra Dessert Bar Recipes
Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 1/2 cups All Goal Flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
Lemon Filling
- 3 Massive Lemons
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 4 Massive Eggs
- 3 tbsps All Goal Flour
- 1 tbsp Corn Starch
Meringue
- 3 Massive Egg Whites room temperature
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
Make the Crust
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Warmth the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch sq. pan with two small items of parchment paper and put apart.
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Cream the butter in a big bowl with a mixer till clean. Combine within the powdered sugar, then add the flour and salt. The crust needs to be crumbly like a cookie dough or shortbread.
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Press the dough firmly and evenly into the underside of the parchment-lined pan, and bake for 20 minutes or till the sides begin to brown barely.
Make the Filling
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Whereas the crust is baking, make the lemon filling. Zest the lemons into a big mixing bowl, then juice them. Put the juice apart. Add the sugar to the big bowl, and rub it along with the zest till aromatic.
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Add the eggs, then beat the combination with a whisk. Add the flour, cornstarch, and reserved lemon juice, and proceed beating till mixed and clean.
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Pour the lemon filling over the baked crust and bake for one more 20 minutes or till the lemon filling has set. Cool the bars fully on a wire rack. (NOTE: If you will bake the meringue to toast it, I like to recommend including the meringue on high whereas the bars are nonetheless heat and earlier than you slice them. Then bake the bars for five minutes.)
Make the Meringue
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As soon as the bars have cooled, make the meringue topping. Wipe down a big mixing bowl with lemon juice or vinegar to verify there is no such thing as a grease. Grease will hold a meringue from getting stiff.
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Use a mixer to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to gentle peaks. Then step by step add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat for not less than 30 seconds at medium velocity every time you add one other tablespoon of sugar. You need to be sure that the sugar has dissolved fully to keep away from a meringue that beads or weeps. Rub a small little bit of meringue between your fingers to really feel for any granules of sugar, and hold beating till it feels clean and the meringue is stiff.
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Lower the bars into 16 sq. items. Switch the meringue to a piping bag, and reduce off the tip to type a ½ inch gap. Pipe the meringue on high of the bars, then use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue.
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Serve at room temperature, and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
