A Lemon Lover's Dream...

After having been 'start struck' a few weeks back meeting Anna Olson at her bakery in Port Dalhousie, and having tried one of the lemon squares there, I was inspired to bake my own.

This recipe is adapted from Anna's own recipe, which is featured in her cookbook, Sugar. As the ultimate lemon lover in our house, I can attest (and so can my waist line) to the fact that these squares have been made on a weekly basis since meeting Anna...they are just THAT good!

The finished product is meant to cool entirely and then refrigerated, but, in our house, the lemon squares barely make it out of the oven before they are devoured!

So pucker those lips up and get ready to enjoy these squares as much as we do!

Ultimate Lemon Squares

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 cup + 2 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

6 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

*Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan

*For the crust: In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the icing sugar and 1 cup of the flour, and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium, and beat until well blended. Press the dough firmly over the bottom of the pan. Bake in the over for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

*For the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, remaining 2 1/2 tsp of the flour, the lemon juice and the zest. Beat with the electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Spread over the cooled crust and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes more, until set. Let cool thoroughly in the pan before cutting into 2-inch squares. Dust with icing sugar.