Lemon shortbread bars
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Makes 9–12
- Dietary
- Nut-freeVegetarian
These lovely sweet and sour shortbread bars are the perfect bake to make with winter citrus.
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 230g/8oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 170g/6oz caster sugar
- 210g/7oz plain flour
- 75g/2½oz rice flour
For the topping
- 400g/14oz granulated sugar
- 40g/1½oz plain flour
- 6 free-range eggs
- 6 lemons, juiced, zest of 3
- icing sugar, to serve
Method
To make the shortbread, line the base of a 20cm/8in square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale. Add the flours and mix very gently until just combined.
Wrap the dough and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.
Spread the dough evenly in the base of the tin and bake for 50 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the topping, gently mix the sugar with the flour, beat in the eggs using an electric whisk, then add the lemon juice and zest.
To assemble, tip the topping onto the cooked shortbread in the tin and bake at 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½ for around 25–30 minutes. There should be no wobble. Leave at room temperature for 2 hours and then allow to set up in the fridge overnight before cutting into 9 or 12 pieces, depending on how big you would like them.
Dust with icing sugar and glaze with a blow torch until blistered.
