How to make Lemon Bars like Tartine

If you have a lot of ripe lemons from your lemon tree, this is a perfect recipe for you! If you don’t have a lemon tree, this recipe is still perfect for you! These bars are crisp and buttery; guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

I will warn these are big, but that is ok because they are delicious and refreshing. The addition of pine nuts in the crust makes these unique, and I love it! Their earthiness contrasts well with the lemon and they add a nice texture to the bars.

Ingredients –

• Crust
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)
• Filling
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup and 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • lemon zest from 1 small lemon
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • pinch of salt
• Confectioners’ sugar for topping

Cookbook – Tartine

Recipe – Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread

Tools –

• Sifter
• Pie weights or alternative (i.e. rice or dried beans)
• Parchment paper
• 9 x 13 baking pan
• Zester
• Mixing bowl and mixer
• Whisk

Step 1 – Prepare Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Take the end of a stick of butter and butter up a 9 x 13 baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, sift in the 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. Add the 1 1/2 cup of flour and stir together.

Next add in the room temperature 3/4 cup of butter and the 1/2 cup of pine nuts (if you choose).

Using a mixer, combine the ingredients at low speed until a dough is created.

Step 2 – Transfer Dough to Pan and Bake

Take the dough and place it in the buttered 9 x 13 pan. Press it into the bottom of the pan evenly, going 1/2 inch up the sides and keeping the thickness at 1/4 inch.

Now line the dough with parchment paper and add the pie weights or alternative. I used rice here.

Bake the crust for 25 to 35 minutes until it turns golden brown. Feel free to rotate it half way through the baking time if it looks like it is browning unevenly.

Step 3 – Prepare Filling

While the dough is in the oven, we can prepare the filling. Using the sifter, sift the 1/2 cup of all purpose flour into another mixing bowl. Next add the 2 1/4 cup of sugar and whisk together. Zest a small lemon and add the zest to the sugar and flour. Also add in the 1 cup and 2 tbsp of lemon juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

In a separate bowl, add the 6 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk together with the pinch of salt. Whisk together and add to the lemon juice mixture. Whisk that together as well and make sure everything is combined.

Step 4 – Bake Filling

Once the crust is done, you can pull it out on the oven rack and leave it in the oven. It will be easier to pour in the filling this way. Discard the parchment paper and the weights.

Pour the filling directly in! Change the oven temperature to 300 F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling does not wobble.

Once done, let it cool completely before cutting or adding confectioners sugar to the top. This is important otherwise the sugar will melt and the filling will run.

Sift some confectioners sugar on top.

Cut into as large of pieces as you would like!

Ratings are below! Let me know what you think in the comments.

• Difficulty of ingredients to find – 1/5 stars – You could easily have everything at home already. Especially if you have a lemon tree!
• Perceived difficulty going into the recipe – 2/5 stars – Pie weights are not something I normally use
• Difficulty after recipe – 2/5 stars – Turned out to be fairly easy
• Time taken – 3/5 stars – Baking took under two hours
• Taste – 4/5 stars – Very good dessert
• Make again? 4/5 stars – This has turned into my go-to recipe for lemon bars