Sunny Lemon Squares

By Deanna F. Cook

For a treat that’s both sweet and sour at the same time, try these sunny lemon squares.

Here’s a favorite recipe for lemon squares that’s easy to make. Kids (and grown-ups!) will love mixing up this tasty treat from Baking Class. Makes 24 bars.

Photo of lemon squares stacked on top of a red cake stand. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Ingredients:

Crust:

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
1½ cups flour
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar

Filling:

2 or 3 lemons
4 eggs
1¼ cups sugar
⅓ cup flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

Confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
To make the crust, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the flour and confectioners’ sugar. Mix until it turns into a soft dough.

Photo of hands pouring flour into a stand mixer. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Transfer the dough to an ungreased 9- by 13-inch baking pan.

Photo of dough for the crust in a baking dish. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Press the dough into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool. Leave the oven turned on.

Photo of hands pressing dough into the baking pan to form a flat layer. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Zest the lemon using a microplane or the smallest holes on a cheese grater. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. Measure ⅓ cup of juice and 1½ tablespoons of zest and set aside.

Photo of hands zesting a lemon. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

To make the filling, beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer.

Photo of eggs and sugar mixing in a stand mixer. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Blend in the flour. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Photo of hands adding vanilla extract to the stand mixer. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and tilt the pan to spread it evenly.

Photo of hands pouring lemon mixture on top of the crust. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Bake the bars until the filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar using a sifter. Slice into 24 small bars.

Photo of hands sprinkling powdered sugar over lemon squares. — Photo © Carl Tremblay.

Excerpted and adapted from Baking Class © by Deanna F. Cook.

Baking Class

by Deanna F. Cook

Following the best-selling book Cooking Class, this delightful baking cookbook for children ages 8–12 features 50 easy-to-follow, kid-friendly recipes. Lively step-by-step photos teach bakers-in-training how to knead dough, make biscuits, decorate cookies, and produce a perfect pie, along with essential skills like following directions and accurately measuring ingredients. Kids will learn to make both sweet and savory treats and will use fresh fruits and vegetables in recipes such as Bursting with Blueberries Muffins, Zombie Zucchini Bread, and Peachy Keen Crumble. Bonus goodie bag stickers, pop-out gift tags, and bake sale signs encourage kids to share their homemade delights with pride.

2017 NPR's Best Books of the Year
2017 IACP Cookbook Award Winner
2017 National Parenting Product Awards Winner
2018 Mom's Choice Award Gold Winner
2019 New York Times "Best Cookbooks for Kids"

Also available in this series: Cooking Class and Cooking Class Global Feast!

$18.95

$23.95 CAD

Format

Also available from:

Deanna F. Cook

About the Author

Deanna F. Cook is the award-winning author of cookbooks for kids, including the best-selling Cooking Class, Baking Class, Cooking Class Global Feast!, and Kids Cook Dinner. She served as the creative development director at FamilyFun magazine and has been an editor at Scholastic, Disney, and Kidstir.com. She lives in western Massachusetts and can be found online at deannafcook.com.

Learn more about this author