Lemon Squares

Ok, this is a Martha Stewart recipe...but it's a good one. Very tart and great lemon taste!

Lemon Squares

Makes about 3 dozen
To assure a tender, flaky crust on these tart and sweet squares, the buttery dough is made by hand and then prebaked so that it stays crisp following the addition of the lemon filling. The filling contains chopped almonds, which rise to the surface during baking much like pecans in a pecan pie. If you’re fond of limes, consider making this recipe with fresh lime juice and zest instead.

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into tablespoon-size pieces
6 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
Grated zest of 3 lemons
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice(about 7 lemons)
1 cup blanched almonds, chopped and toasted

Heat oven to 325°. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and confectioners’ sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently pat into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, and bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer dish to a rack to cool.

Reduce oven to 300°. Whisk together eggs and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and juice, and combine. Sift in remaining 1/2 cup flour, add nuts, and stir to combine. Pour filling onto baked crust, and bake until filling sets, about 40 minutes. Refrigerate until well chilled before slicing, 1 hour and preferably overnight. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice into pieces with a sharp knife, and serve.


Recipe can be found here