Mom's Famous Lemon Squares

When my Mom attends an event in my hometown, she is expected to bring Lemon Squares. Miranda Lambert sings that everyone is famous in a small town, and in Kennebunk, Maine, these Lemon Squares are famous. This is a lighter citrusy dessert that is perfect for people who aren't fans of chocolate. The crust is a crumbly buttery shortbread, and the lemon filling is gooey and somewhat gelatinous. These bars have a satisfying combination of tastes and textures, and they are begging to be baked, cut up, and brought to a barbecue.

Lemon Squares always remind me of my Mom's father, who didn't like chocolate - but like a true Italian loved lemons. My mom often made this dessert when my grandfather was coming over (which was a lot). Recently she started bringing this dessert to Rotary Pot Lucks, and the organizers have her permanently signed up to bring these Lemon Squares - apparently once she brought something else and they were disappointed!

Mom's Famous Lemon Squares

Lemon squares with a shortbread crust.

Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12

Author: Kit Graham

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups Flour
• 1 cup Butter
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar plus more to sprinkle over the top
• 4 Large Eggs slightly beaten
• 2 cups Sugar
• ¼ cup Lemon Juice
• a dash of Limoncello optional
• Grated lemon rind of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Then get to work on the crust. Start by combining 2 cups of the flour, the butter, and ½ cup powdered sugar in an electric mixer. Then press the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake the crust for 25 minutes, or until slightly golden.
• Mix all remaining ingredients together, and pour over the hot crust.
• Bake for another 30 minutes, or until the filling has set.
• Immediately after removing from the oven, run a knife around the crust to help separate the bars from the pan. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Then let cool before cutting the bars.