Best Lemon Bar Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why can't i use a metal pan for lemon bars? ›

Acidic ingredients can cause the metallic pots or spoons to leach into the ingredients. Whenever making things with lemon, vinegar or other highly acidic ingredients it is best to stick with heatproof glass bowls and pans, stainless steel pots and silicone utensils.

Don't Over-Bake.

If you leave them in the oven too long, it can cause your bars to crack. The surface of your lemon bars should have small bubble holes, but not large cracks.

Why do my lemon bars look like scrambled eggs? If your lemon bars look like scrambled eggs, it's because you've overcooked them. The key to perfect lemon bars is to cook them until the filling is set, but not too long. You want the filling to be firm but still have a little bit of jiggle to it when you shake the pan.

Line your 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper. I've used both. Foil tends to stick to the bottom of the lemon bars a bit, so if I had to choose one, I'd say use parchment paper.

Prepare your chef's knife for cutting by coating with cooking spray and then wiping it clean with a paper towel. This step will help prevent the knife from sticking to the bars as you cut.

Serving: Lemon bars are fine to keep out at room temperature for up to 6 hours or so. Storing: Store cooked lemon bars or leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days. Make-Ahead: You can make lemon bars up to two days in advance.

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).

Baked goods like lemon bars are acidic enough and contain enough fat and sugar,which exclude water from bacterial use, that there is no problem keeping them at room temperature for up to 24 hours; well wrapped.

You will get6 bars with a little extra space for a sample for the cook, to taste for quality control. If 9" seem too long , cut in half and you will have a nice dozen. I spray my pans with oil so the food slips out easily, and I start by cutting the food in half; cut the halves in half; and so on.

Yes, lemon bars freeze beautifully—they are even good frozen! To freeze the bars, let them cool completely and freeze the batch whole, covered tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, for up to three months.

How many brownies can you get out of a 9x13 pan? ›

This homemade brownie recipe is great for every day celebrating to enjoying life's special moments that call for chocolate deliciousness. This recipe is perfect 9×13 to give you 12 large or 24 smaller brownies. What is this? If you're looking for an easy homemade brownie recipe…

Usually, it just means that you need to bake your bars longer. If your bars seem to brown at the edges, you can cover them with aluminum foil and turn down the heat. The bars should be set at the edges and jiggly without being runny in the middle. They will set fully as they cool.

Don't bake in aluminum foil or directly in an aluminum pan. Aluminum will react with the acidic lemon juice and give the bars a metallic taste and can even affect the color. For a softer (but still not soggy!) crust, bake for only 15 minutes and edges are not golden brown.

Underbaking: This is the most common reason for gooey lemon bars. The filling needs enough time to set, which can be tricky since oven temperatures can vary and the visual cues for doneness are subtle. Solution: Bake the bars until the filling is just set and no longer wobbles when you gently shake the pan.

Lemon juice is acidic in nature as it contains citric acid. Citric acid has the tendency to react with iron in order to form iron oxide as well as hydrogen gas.

Bakes more slowly than glass: Interestingly enough, however, metal pans bake things more slowly than glass pans do. Because of this, if a recipe calls for a glass pan and you decide to use a metal pan instead, be sure to add a few minutes to the baking time.

Yes, it's OK to put lemon in a stainless steel water bottle because the material has anti-corrosive properties, letting it withstand most acidic substances. Stainless steel forms a passive corrosion product layer to protect the drinking bottle from lemon's potential acidic damage.

Lemon and stainless steel travel cup

Lemon is highly acidic, and if left in contact with stainless steel for extended periods, it can cause a metallic taste in your drink. Additionally, it can cause discoloration or pitting on the surface of the cup.