lemon meringue bars with a shortbread cookie crust 🍋✨

Ingredients 🧈🥚

shortbread crust

-1 cup melted butter

-1/2 cup sugar

-2 tsp pure vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 cups + 2 tbsp flour

lemon filling

-1 1/2 cups sugar

-1 tbsp lemon zest

-1/4 cup flour

-4 eggs

-1/2 cup lemon juice

meringue topping

-4 egg whites

-1 cup sugar

-1/2 tsp cream of tartar

-1 tsp vanilla

Instructions 📝

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Mix melted butter, sugar, vanilla & salt together. Add flour & stir. Press into baking pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the crust (not all the way through the crust). Set aside.

3. For the filling, mix together sugar & lemon zest. Add flour & stir.

4. Add eggs and lemon juice and stir.

5. Pour filling onto warm shortbread crust. Bake for about 25-30 mins or until the center is set & no longer jiggles.

6. For the topping, place egg whites, sugar & cream of tartar in heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with two inches of simmering water. Do not let it touch the water.

7. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes.

8. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, then using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.

9. Add the topping over the set bars. If you don’t have a blowtorch you can toast the meringue in the oven on the low broil setting for 1-2 mins.

*the lemon bars need to be completely cool before adding the topping. I let mine sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before adding the topping

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