Move over lemon bars, there's a new flavor in town! Using the fresh flavors of lemon, lime, and mint, these easy Lemon Lime Bars take lemon squares to a whole new level. Sweet and tart with a hint of mint, enjoy this burst of citrus sunshine on a plate!
2tablespoons(15grams)powdered sugar, plus more for dusting, see Recipe Notes
4(200grams)large eggs
1(14grams)large egg yolk
⅓cup(80grams)lemon juice, freshly squeezed, from 2 lemons, see Recipe Notes
2tablespoons(30grams)lime juice, freshly squeezed, from 1 lime, see Recipe Notes
1tablespoon(4grams)zest, lemons and lime combined, see Recipe Notes
¼teaspoon(1teaspoon)kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to to 325 °F. Lightly coat a 9- x 9-inch baking pan with baking spray. Line the baking pan with two pieces of parchment paper placed perpendicular to each other, covering all four sides and leaving a 2-inch overhang. If desired, use binder clips to keep the parchment paper away from the curd while baking. Just clip them to the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Make the shortbread: In a medium bowl, mix the cooled melted butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and stir to combine.
Transfer the shortbread dough into the prepared baking pan. Press the dough evenly into the pan, making sure to get the dough all the way into the corners. Covering the dough with plastic wrap and rolling it out with a pie roller helps. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.
Par-bake the shortbread for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
Make the mint sugar: While the shortbread is baking, put the sugar and mint leaves in a small food processor and pulse until they’re finely blended.
Make the lemon lime curd filling: In a small bowl, sift the flour and powdered sugar together.
In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs until just combined. Add the mint sugar, flour mixture, lemon and lime juices and zest, and salt and whisk until just combined.
Remove the par-baked shortbread from the oven and pierce the top it lightly with a fork (don’t go all the way through). Pour the curd filling onto the warm crust. Tap the pan a couple of times on the counter to release the trapped air.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the center is set and doesn’t jiggle when the pan is tapped. Turn off the oven a couple of minutes before the filling is entirely set. Crack the oven door and allow the bars to cool gradually for 1 hour.
Remove the bars from the oven and cool to room temperature, then chill for 1 hour.
Use the parchment paper as a sling to transfer to a cutting board. Cut the slab into 16 squares. It’s best to dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts to get neater squares.
Using a fine mesh strainer, generously dust the bars with powdered sugar. The bars are best served chilled, and dusting them with the powdered sugar just before serving helps to keep it from melting away.
Storage instructions: Store the bars in the refrigerator for up to a week. They also can be frozen, cut into squares but without the powdered sugar dusting, for up to 4 months. Wrap the frozen lemon and lime squares in plastic wrap and store in an airtight bag. Thaw in the refrigerator for an hour or two, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
You'll need the juice and zest of both the lemons and limes for this recipe. A microplane grater and citrus juicer makes quick work getting the lemons ready. Zest the lemons and lime first, then juice them into a bowl measuring out enough to total ½ cup of juice. I also recommend straining the juices as you measure them to remove the seeds. Using freshly juiced fruit will give the brightest flavor, but you can use bottled lemon or lime juice in a pinch.Rather than making the mint sugar, you can chop the mint up very finely (mint confetti) and mix it in with the rest of the curd ingredients. You can, of course, skip the mint if you prefer to make this a straight lemon lime dessert recipe.Despite tapping out the air bubbles, they can still show up after baking. It happens when the eggs are over-whipped or the curd is over-baked. If either of these things happen (and they did in my video), a good sprinkling of powdered sugar will cover them up. This recipe can be easily doubled. Press the shortbread dough into a 9- x 13-inch baking pan and par-bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Bake the lemon and lime curd filling for 22 to 26 minutes. You'll get about 24 2-inch squares.