Summer!
As spring starts to turn into summer here in North America, we’re enjoying the warmer weather and much-needed Vitamin D! We’re also looking to make some more summery recipes, which can be difficult when it comes to Scandinavian baked goods. As you can probably tell if you’ve looked through our blog, they tend to be rich and buttery rather than light. But, today we’re bringing you a delicious recipe for citronsnitter, or lemon bars, that is just perfect for the spring or summertime!
Lemons may not ~actually~ be a summer fruit, since they’re in season in the winter. But, we love to use lemon juice in loads of things all year round! In the summer, we use lemon in lemonade (duh, lol), salad dressing, on chicken, and in these delicious lemon bars! So, if you’re a lemon fan like us, and you want to make a dessert to impress a group of people at a dinner party or potluck, to give as a gift to a friend, or just for yourself, give this recipe a try!
This recipe is very simple! I know we say that about all of our recipes, but it really is. It does require a lot of eggs and lemons, but the amazing flavor from the lemon will make it all worth it! To start, make the base, which is a shortbread dough. When you combine the ingredients, it may seem a bit crumbly at first. But just continue to work it gently with your hands and the butter will soften and you will end up with a more cohesive dough. Press this into a pan and bake on its own to start. In the meantime, for the filling, just whisk together the ingredients! Pour these over the baked crust and bake again. Let them cool fully before slicing. Enjoy!
Citronsnitter (Lemon Bars)
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD BASE
- 300 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 180 grams (13 tbsp) cold butter, unsalted
- 80 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
- Pinch of salt
FILLING
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) lemon juice (juice from about 6 small/medium lemons)
- 250 grams (1 1/4 cups) sugar
- 7 large eggs
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) flour
- Lemon zest from one and a half lemons
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C).
- To make the base: mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. If using a food processor, add cold butter and pulse until it resembles sand. Transfer to a bowl and press the dough together until it forms a ball (it may not come together fully – it's okay if it's still crumbly!). If working by hand, crumble in the butter and press together until you have a ball of dough.
- Prepare your baking pan (we used a 9×13 inch pan) by buttering the bottom and sides and lining with a piece of parchment paper hanging over the edges.
- Press your dough into the bottom of the pan until you have an even layer.
- Bake the base for 25 minutes until lightly golden around the edges.
- While the base is baking, prepare the filling. Mix together your eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add in sifted flour and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add your lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk until fully combined.
- Pour the filling over the pre-baked base and bake for about 25-30 minutes until there is just a slight wobble to the middle of the bars. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for a few hours. Slice and serve!
