Lemon Meringue Pie Bars – buttery shortbread crust with tart lemon filling, topped with fluffy toasted meringue!
Happy Monday!
I hope your weekend was fabulous. I spent mine recovering from our roadtrip.
You guys, we drove through Houston when it was still raining. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. And OF COURSE I’d planned to stop at a doughnut place and was dumb enough to get off the interstate because it didn’t click in my pea-sized brain that Houston was flooded.
Survived that, got back on the interstate, and the freakin’ interstate was flooded.
I spent a solid 2 hours in Houston trying to figure out how I was going to save all 3 kids and the dog if the Jeep got swept away.
No, I don’t overreact. Why do you ask?
I don’t recommend coming to Texas until it’s done raining. Just stay away. Not a good situation.
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
These bars have 3 different components: – the crust, the lemon filling, and the meringue topping – so it looks like a lot of work but it’s all pretty simple and definitely worth the work.
- Make crust by beating butter, flour, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and salt together
- Press crust into a 9×13-inch rimmed baking sheet; chill in freezer for 10 minutes
- Bake crust until golden, about 20 minutes
- Cool crust completely before filling
- Make filling by whisking together whole eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest
- Pour filling over crust and bake until filling is set, another 18 – 20 minutes
- Let cool completely before topping
- Make the meringue topping by beating egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form
- Gently spread meringue over the filling
- Bake until meringue begins to brown, about 8 – 10 minutes
- Let cool completely before slicing and serving
How Long Are Lemon Meringue Pie Bars Good For?
These bars will stay good for 2 – 3 days. Make sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can You Make Lemon Bars Ahead?
I like to make these bars the day before I plan to serve them so that they can be completely chilled by the time I cut them. They slice best when chilled and you can really see the layers that way.
Each layer does have to cool after baking so make sure you account for that time when you plan to make these.
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Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
Lemon Meringue Pie Bars - buttery shortbread crust with tart lemon filling, topped with fluffy toasted meringue!
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, plus 4 large egg whites
- 2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- To make the crust, put butter, flour, confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until well blended.
- Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Press batter evenly into baking sheet. Chill in freezer 10 minutes. Bake until golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the filling, whisk together whole eggs, 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Pour over crust. Bake until filling is set, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the meringue topping, put egg whites and ½ cup granulated sugar in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread meringue over filling, swirling to create soft peaks. Bake until meringue begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into bars.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g
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