Lemon Bars

I love Ina Garten's cookbooks. Somehow, her recipes almost never fail when I try them. I came across the lemon bars recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook when I was planning a baby shower for a friend. I thought these would be perfect for an afternoon shower. Plus, I thought my husband who doesn't like very sweet desserts would appreciate these. I had to cut the sugar down for him. They turned out not-too-sweet, and just lemony-tart enough. The shortbread crust paired great with the lemon filling.

Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Bars

(Adapted from her recipe in Barefoot Contessa Parties!)

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons, I ended up using 6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

3. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

4. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

5. Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.