The best lemon bars, bar none…The perfect lemon bar is equal parts soft, bold lemon filling, melt-in-your-mouth crust and easy recipe. Make a simple crust. While it bakes, make a simple filling; bake again. Cool, cut, share (and sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top if you like). Be prepared to share the recipe.  Getting out of my chocoholic rut wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I did because these lemon bars are luscious and refreshing. This recipe is by Three Many Cooks and was featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer in March, 2011.

For crust: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp. salt ½ cup confectioner’s sugar 1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter, melted but not hot

For filling: 2 large eggs ¾ cup sugar 1½ Tbs. all-purpose flour 6 Tbs. juice from 2 lemons 2 tsps. finely grated lemon zest

Steps:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Fit an 8-inch by 16-inch piece of heavy-duty foil across pan bottom and up the 2 sides as foil overhangs to pull bars from the pan. Spray foil with vegetable cooking spray.

Mix flour, salt, confectioner’s sugar in a medium bowl; stir in butter to form dough. Press dough into pan bottom (the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in flour helps). Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes.

While pastry bakes, whisk eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl.

Remove pan from oven. Add lemon mixture and continue to bake until just set, about 20 minutes longer; let cool in pan for a few minutes and then using foil handles, pull bars from pan and set on a wire rack. Cool until room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.