Best Lemon Bars

Name: Best Lemon Bars
Yield: Makes 12 bars
Ingredients: 1 cup (5 ounces), all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces), granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon, salt; 8 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted; 1 cup (7 ounces), granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons, cream of tartar; 1/4 teaspoon, salt; 3 , large eggs plus 3 large yolks; 2 teaspoons, grated lemon zest plus 2/3 cup juice (4 lemons); 4 tablespoons, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces; , Confectioners' sugar (optional)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated May/June 1998, America's Test Kitchen TV

Desserts or Baked Goods

Fruit

Fruit Desserts

What's the secret to bars with bold, multifaceted citrus flavor? Cut back on the lemon juice.

SERVESMakes 12 bars

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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...

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