Last updated on October 25th, 2024
These Retro Lemon squares have a tart and tangy, sweet curd-like filling placed on top of a rich, buttery shortbread crust. My vintage inspiration is one of our family favorites, however, I’ve taken a 1960’s vintage recipe and baked it modern for today’s pallets.
I’ve taken this 1960’s recipe and baked it modern:
- used salted butter for the shortbread crust
- added cornstarch to stabilize the filling
- Added lemon zest to the crust and to filling to enhance the flavor
- baked in a 9×13 pan vs. 8×8 pan
Vintage Inspiration: A 1963 recipe from “Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book”
How to make Retro Lemon Squares:
INGREDIENTS
How to zest & juice citrus:
By adding freshly grated lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice, it will add some extra flavor to the crust and the filling. Be sure to put lemons on the counter the day you plan to use them. Room temperature lemons will yield more lemon juice than lemons straight out of the fridge. The best tool for zesting citrus is a microplane. Then after you zest the fruit, use a handheld citrus squeezer or a glass citrus reamer.
BAKER’S TIPS
How to make a perfect pie crust:
If you are using a mixer to make the crust, cream together the butter and sugars and then add the flour and zest just until it comes together into a crumbly texture, which resembles pie crust. If you mix too long it will turn into more of a shortbread cookie crust. Lightly press the mixture flat into the pan and prick the bottom and sides with a fork. This will help steam escape and keep the bottom of the flat.
After the crust is baked before adding the filling, lightly dust with a thickening agent (this can be cornstarch, tapioca starch or ClearJel) prior to pouring in the filling. This step prevents a soggy crust.
How to serve this dessert:
Let squares cool for 1-2 hours and sprinkle with powdered sugar. When serving the squares, dip knife into hot water before slicing to prevent from sticking to the filling. It is best to clean-off your knife in between cutting the slices as the filling will be sticky. Place on a plate and dust again with a little more powdered sugar.
Lemon Squares
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD CRUST
- 2 c. unbleached flour
- ¼ c. sugar
- ¼ c. confectioner sugar
- 1 c. salted butter room temp
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
FILLING
- 1 ¾ c. sugar
- 4 eggs + 1 yolk
- 1/3 c. lemon juice
- 1 T. cornstarch
- 1 T. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
- PREP
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Zest and juice 2 lemons.
SHORTBREAD CRUST
- Cream together butter and sugar into stand mixer. Add flour and lemon zest and pulse until crumbly (cookie dough like texture).
- Pierce with fork and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
FILLING
- Mix together sugar, eggs, and egg yolk until light in color about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice, cornstarch, baking powder, lemon zest and mix until just incorporated.
- Pour lemon filling onto baked crust.Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.Allow to cool for at least 1-2 hours.
- After the bars have cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar all over the top and cut into bars into squares.Store in container.
