Chef John's Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• Wheat flour

  Whole-grain

  1 cup or 120g

• Butter

  Unsalted

  ½ cup or 114g

• Powdered sugars

  ¼ cup unsifted or 30g

• Vanilla extract

  ¼ tsp or 1g

• Salt

  Table

  ¼ tsp or 2g

• Egg

  Whole, fresh eggs

  2 large or 100g

• Egg yolk

  Raw, fresh

  1 large yolk (separated from white) or 17g

• Sugar

  White, granulated sugar

  1 cup or 200g

• Wheat flour

  Whole-grain

  2 tbsp or 15g

• Lemon juice

  Raw

  ¼ cup or 61g

• Lemon zest

  3 tsp or 6g

• Powdered sugars

  1 tsp or 3g

Directions

1. Place an oven rack into middle position in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.
2. Place 1 cup flour and butter in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; mash mixture together until mixture looks like a slightly crumbly cookie dough.
3. Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into bottom of prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust.
4. Bake crust on center rack in the preheated oven until crust edges are barely golden brown, 22 minutes.
5. Beat eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl; whisk in white sugar and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour lemon custard over crust.
6. Bake on center rack until custard is set and top has a thin white sugary crust, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Dip knife into very hot water, run around the edge, and cut into 16 squares. Dust cookies with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar.
7. (source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232799/chef-johns-lemon-bars/)