We Made Joanna Gaines' Lemon Bars And You Should, Too
Nothing says springtime quite like a light, lemon-y dessert, so that's precisely what we wanted to make this Easter. While Easter has come and gone, it's not too late to try this recipe out for yourself because this is one that will be delicious all spring (and summer!) long.
We got the recipe for Mina's Lemon Bars from the Magnolia Table cookbook, by none other than "Fixer Upper's" Joanna Gaines.
We're convinced that anything Gaines puts her stamp on is going to be amazing — especially if lemon desserts or shiplap is involved — and boy, oh boy. We weren't wrong.
Not only are the lemon bars super easy to make, they're also easy to cut down (as we did) or serve to a crowd. But, trust us — you'll want to make sure there's plenty to go around!
The lemon bars consist of a crumbly shortbread base that has an ooey, gooey lemon-filled layer added to it. Last, but certainly not least, the dessert is topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
You can view the full recipe over at Addicted 2 Recipes or straight from the Magnolia Table cookbook itself!
Essentially, to make the shortbread base you'll combine flour, melted butter, powdered sugar and salt to create a dough. Allow that to bake on its own.
When it's out of the oven and already starting to smell amazing, you'll pour a mixture of lemon juice, granulated sugar and eggs over it and continue baking until the dessert is set.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar while it's still warm and allow it to cool.
You can eat it right away once it's cooled down or do as we did and chill in the fridge so you can enjoy it slightly chilled. We highly recommend this method!
The recipe makes about 15 square bars, but we cut the version in half and wound up with about 8 bars for a small gathering on Easter Sunday:
You can see the lemon bars stacked here in the center — we also made a carrot cake roll, but we'll fill you in more on that later!
First, an aerial view:
And now — the profile:
Behold the lemon-y goodness!
And take our word for it — they taste as good as they look! These are truly the perfect summertime treat, so don't hesitate to bake some up the next time you're craving something light and sweet.
Looking for a drink to pair with this seasonal dessert? Give this lavender latte recipe a try and thank us later!
— Labels and Lacquer girls
Images: Photo by Sarah Shaffer on Unsplash (1); L&L Originals (3)