Lemon bars are a simple but irresistible treat

As we traded suggestions about what to feature in this week’s column, Jack asked for something sweet, which immediately brought to mind an old-fashioned favorite, lemon bars. You’ve certainly seen these treats at bakeries, coffee shops, cookie exchanges and bake sales. Made from a shortbread-cookie crust topped with lemon curd and dusted with confectioners sugar, their history is not a long one.

The use of lemon as a recipe ingredient dates back centuries, where lemon juice and lemon zest (grated from the top layer of the peel) appear in recipes for both sweet and savory dishes. As far back as the Renaissance, you would find desserts made with lemon and sugar. The earliest appearance of a lemon-flavored pudding was in 18th century England, and an American recipe for “lemon cream” was published in 1786.

Originally, “lemon curd” was made by curdling fresh cream with lemon juice. The mixture would be strained and a lemon-infused cream was the result. Later recipes for “lemon cheese” (which would have the texture of a pudding or custard) included instructions to rasp chunks of sugar (which were sold in hard cones, not in granulated form) against the lemon rind to infuse the sugar with the lemon oil and color.

What we call lemon curd today has the texture of a velvety custard, a bright-yellow color and a slightly tart-sweet flavor. A few simple ingredients are all that’s needed to make lemon curd: butter, sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest. These are whisked together in a double boiler into a creamy spread that is delicious on scones, toast and muffins or drizzled over pound cake.

So we have the familiar lemon custard (also called cream or curd) and the common shortbread cookie that had been around for years. Who came up with the idea to combine the two into lemon bars? The answer is Mrs. Eleanore Mickelson, whose lemon bar recipe appeared in the Aug. 27, 1962 edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune. Her recipe for the lemon portion is not quite as rich as today’s lemon curd, but her recipe closely resembles the one I’ve always followed (see photo).

In the following year, “Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book” published a lemon bar recipe that was almost identical to Mrs. Mickelson’s (it omitted flour in the lemon mixture) and the layered treat became popular across the country. Not only did the lemon bar become a standard in the recipe box, but cookie bars in general began to enjoy a wide audience.

By the early 1990s, Betty Crocker had created a Supreme Dessert Bar line of mixes with a range of flavors: M&Ms Cookie Bars, raspberry bars, lemon bars, chocolate peanut butter bars and caramel oatmeal bars. The Krusteaz brand introduced its version, called Meyer Lemon Bars, a few years later, then expanded to add raspberry and pumpkin.

I’ve included a recipe for basic lemon curd that will surprise you by how easy it is to make and how delicious it is to eat. You can also find it on the grocery shelf, but homemade is the way to go. You can see the difference between the modern lemon bar recipe and the original from Mrs. Mickelson in the increased lemon flavor added with grated zest and more juice. No matter which recipe you use, the lemon bars won’t last long in the cookie tin.

Lemon Curd

4 egg yolks
2/3 C sugar
1 T lemon zest
1/3 C lemon juice
pinch salt
6 T unsalted butter, chopped

Bring water to a boil in the bottom section of a double boiler over high; reduce heat to keep water at a gentle simmer. Combine egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, juice and salt in the top portion of the double boiler and whisk constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add butter, whisking steadily until melted. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool, then remove wrap to serve. Refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Lemony Lemon Bars

1/2 C unsalted butter
1/4 C confectioners sugar
1 C flour
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 T lemon zest
1/4 C lemon juice
pinch salt
1/2 t baking powder
2 T flour

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour until smooth. Press mixture evenly across the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Combine the sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add lemon zest, juice, salt, baking powder and flour, beating to combine thoroughly. Pour lemon mixture over the crust to cover completely. Return pan to the oven and bake an additional 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before cutting into bars. Dust with confectioners sugar to serve. Yield: 24 bars.

Original Lemon Bars*

1/2 C butter
1/4 C confectioners sugar
1 C sifted flour
1 C sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/4 t salt
3 T lemon juice
1/2 t baking powder
2 T flour

Cream butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix well. Spread in an ungreased 9-by-9-inch pan and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Beat sugar into eggs gradually. Add salt and lemon juice. Sift in baking powder and flour; mix thoroly [sic]. Spread over crust and bake 30 minutes longer. Cool, dust with confectioners sugar and cut into squares. Yield: 24 bars. *Note: Contributed by Mrs. Eleanore Mickelson to the Chicago Tribune, published Aug. 27, 1962.

Send comments, questions and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net.