Why This Recipe Works

For lemon bars with sweet-tart flavor and a crisp, well-browned crust, we started at the bottom. Our pat-in-the-pan crust is made with melted—not cold—butter and can therefore be stirred together instead of requiring a food processor. For a truly crisp texture, we used granulated sugar instead of the usual confectioners' sugar and baked the crust until it was dark golden brown to ensure that it retained its crispness even after we topped it with the lemon filling.

We cooked our lemon filling on the stove to shorten the oven time and keep it from curdling or browning at the edges when it baked. The combination of lemon juice and lemon zest provides complex flavor, and a couple of teaspoons of cream of tartar (tartaric acid) give it a bright, lingering finish.

Before You Begin

Do not substitute bottled lemon juice for fresh here.

Instructions

for the crust

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.

Whisk 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (1¾ ounce) granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon table salt together in bowl. Add 8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer over entire bottom of pan (do not wash bowl). Bake crust until dark golden brown, 19 to 24 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

for the filling

While crust bakes, whisk 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, and ¼ teaspoon table salt together in now-empty bowl. Whisk in 3 large eggs and 3 large egg yolks until no streaks of egg remain. Whisk in 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and ⅔ cup lemon juice. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces. Strain filling through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl.

Pour filling over hot crust and tilt pan to spread evenly. Bake until filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken, 8 to 12 minutes. (Filling around perimeter of pan may be slightly raised.) Let bars cool completely, at least 1½ hours.

Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into bars, wiping knife clean between cuts as necessary. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners' sugar, if using.