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For anyone who loves the fresh flavors of summer, you’ll want to make these easy lemon bars! These fresh summer cookie bars with a lemon curd-like layer are impossible to resist.

Best Lemon Bars

As early as spring, I start to crave summer flavors and use lemon in many of my recipes. Lemon bars are the perfect recipe to make at this time of year. And in the fall, I still can’t quite let go of those summer flavors. For those who want to hold on to that summer feeling a little longer, or for those who just love anything with lemon flavor, you have found the perfect recipe.

I first came across the concept of lemon bars years ago on Pinterest. After trying several recipes, I finally created my own version. In this recipe, you make a layer of shortbread with a fresh, creamy lemon layer on top that is reminiscent of lemon curd. If you love lemon curd as much as I do, you will definitely approve of these lemon bars! Because you bake the lemon layer in the oven with the pre baked shortbread, it blends in with the cookie base, making it incredibly delicious.

Lemon cookie bars

Do you love lemon? Then these lemon bars are sure to please. The cookie base is shortbread, and on top of that is a creamy lemon filling that tastes like lemon curd, but is a little different in terms of ingredients.

For example, there is no butter in the lemon filling, but there is a good amount of eggs, which provide the binding and firmness. The result is a delicious lemon bar that is perfect for high tea, a picnic or as a dessert. Also great for bake sales with a nice glass of lemonade.

About the ingredients

You don’t need much to make these classic lemon bars, but sometimes when a recipe is easy, you’ll want to be extra sure if you use the right ingredients. So I’ll make a quick list of the ingredients for this lemon bar recipe.

• Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter for baking recipes. This way you can decide for yourself how much salt is needed in a recipe. And don’t forget: unsalted butter makes a perfect buttery shortbread crust for this recipe.
• Sugar: You need this for the shortbread and the lemon layer. I always use fine granulated sugar for baking. It dissolves quicker than regular granulated sugar and it gives the perfect structure to the end result. If you can’t find fine granulated sugar, it’s perfectly fine to use regular sugar. The fine sugar just has my preference.
• Flour: Also for the shortbread and a small bit for the lemon layer. You’re perfectly fine with all purpose flour for this recipe. You could use a gluten free flour if you want to make gluten free lemon bars, but I haven’t tested this myself. But I do know some of my follower did and were very pleased with the result.
• Eggs: For the lemon layer I used 4 medium eggs. A medium eggs weighs about 50 grams without their shell.
• Lemons: The most important part of this recipe. I just use regular fresh lemons, no need for special types of lemon. You will need the lemon zest and the fresh lemon juice of both lemons for the lemon layer in this recipe.
• Powdered sugar: For the finishing touch: sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the lemon bars right before you serve them.

At last: all ingredients need to be on room temperature before you start making this easy recipe.

More Recipes with Lemon

As I mentioned before, I love to bake with lemon. If you love lemon bars, you will love my lemon curd! Everything is delicious with homemade lemon curd. I use it in a lot of desserts to, I really love lemon desserts.

Another delicious recipe is my perfect lemon loaf. I love this recipe and make it every summer, preferably several times.

For anyone who loves the fresh flavors of summer, you’ll want to make these easy lemon bars! These fresh summer cookie bars with a lemon curd-like layer are impossible to resist.

Best Lemon Bars

As early as spring, I start to crave summer flavors and use lemon in many of my recipes. Lemon bars are the perfect recipe to make at this time of year. And in the fall, I still can’t quite let go of those summer flavors. For those who want to hold on to that summer feeling a little longer, or for those who just love anything with lemon flavor, you have found the perfect recipe.

I first came across the concept of lemon bars years ago on Pinterest. After trying several recipes, I finally created my own version. In this recipe, you make a layer of shortbread with a fresh, creamy lemon layer on top that is reminiscent of lemon curd. If you love lemon curd as much as I do, you will definitely approve of these lemon bars! Because you bake the lemon layer in the oven with the pre baked shortbread, it blends in with the cookie base, making it incredibly delicious.

Lemon cookie bars

Do you love lemon? Then these lemon bars are sure to please. The cookie base is shortbread, and on top of that is a creamy lemon filling that tastes like lemon curd, but is a little different in terms of ingredients.

For example, there is no butter in the lemon filling, but there is a good amount of eggs, which provide the binding and firmness. The result is a delicious lemon bar that is perfect for high tea, a picnic or as a dessert. Also great for bake sales with a nice glass of lemonade.

About the ingredients

You don’t need much to make these classic lemon bars, but sometimes when a recipe is easy, you’ll want to be extra sure if you use the right ingredients. So I’ll make a quick list of the ingredients for this lemon bar recipe.

• Unsalted butter: I always use unsalted butter for baking recipes. This way you can decide for yourself how much salt is needed in a recipe. And don’t forget: unsalted butter makes a perfect buttery shortbread crust for this recipe.
• Sugar: You need this for the shortbread and the lemon layer. I always use fine granulated sugar for baking. It dissolves quicker than regular granulated sugar and it gives the perfect structure to the end result. If you can’t find fine granulated sugar, it’s perfectly fine to use regular sugar. The fine sugar just has my preference.
• Flour: Also for the shortbread and a small bit for the lemon layer. You’re perfectly fine with all purpose flour for this recipe. You could use a gluten free flour if you want to make gluten free lemon bars, but I haven’t tested this myself. But I do know some of my follower did and were very pleased with the result.
• Eggs: For the lemon layer I used 4 medium eggs. A medium eggs weighs about 50 grams without their shell.
• Lemons: The most important part of this recipe. I just use regular fresh lemons, no need for special types of lemon. You will need the lemon zest and the fresh lemon juice of both lemons for the lemon layer in this recipe.
• Powdered sugar: For the finishing touch: sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the lemon bars right before you serve them.

At last: all ingredients need to be on room temperature before you start making this easy recipe.

More Recipes with Lemon

As I mentioned before, I love to bake with lemon. If you love lemon bars, you will love my lemon curd! Everything is delicious with homemade lemon curd. I use it in a lot of desserts to, I really love lemon desserts.

Another delicious recipe is my perfect lemon loaf. I love this recipe and make it every summer, preferably several times.

Making your own lemon curd is not difficult at all. With just a few ingredients, you can make your own fresh curd to use in a delicious lemon meringue pie, for example.

Homemade lemon curd

On my baking weekend last month, I made lemon curd for the first time. I have no idea why I hadn’t done it before. Since I was so eager to make lemon meringue pie, I wanted to get it right the first time and make the curd myself.

I made a big batch so I could make more recipes with it and make sure I had some left over to put in the yogurt (very tasty!). I didn’t think it would be so easy to make my own curd from lemons and a few other ingredients.

Baking tip: When you make a curd, you can store it in a sealed jar. I usually use glass mason jars.

What to eat with lemon curd

The possibilities are endless with this delicious curd. Put a little in your yogurt, a scoop over an ice cream dessert, spread it on a cracker, and of course: serve it on homemade scones with clotted cream. Yes, it really is all delicious!

Other popular recipes with this curd are, of course, any recipes that combine the curd with meringue. Like lemon meringue pie. I also love lemon curd cookies, like thumbprint cookies with the curd in the center. I will post a recipe for those soon.

Lemon curd cake is also very tasty. For example, you can use this recipe for lemon loaf and serve it with whipped cream and your homemade curd. Or with ice cream, which is also very tasty!

BAKING TIP: Love lemon curd? Then you will also LOVE these easy lemon bars!

I use my homemade almond paste recipe in my baked goods a lot and it’s really easy to make this paste yourself. I love baking with this delicious ingredient, especially during the holiday season. Recipes with this almond filling are very popular for Christmas and the Dutch holiday ‘Sinterklaas’.

Make your own almond paste

The almond paste recipe is very simple because it has a fixed ratio of almond flour to sugar. The amount of sugar and almond flour are always the same. Add a little egg and possibly some lemon zest to make it complete. I like the addition of lemon zest, but it’s optional. I share the simple steps in the recipe card down below, but first want to share some more information about the ingredients.

As you will see, my recipe has gram measurements. I did include a converter so you can see the ingredients in ounces. But I would advice to invest in a good scale, they aren’t expensive. It makes baking so much easier.

About the ingredients

I’ve seen that American recipes for almond paste are sometimes a bit different than the Dutch recipes, so I thought it would be helpful to tell a bit more about the ingredients and why some things are different. Both recipes are similar enough to use interchangeable. Let start with the simple ingredients in my recipe:

• Almond flour: The key ingredient! You can use store bought almond flour, or you can use my recipe for almond flour. It’s very easy to make, you only need almonds and a food processor. You could also use almond meal if you can’t find almond flour.
• Sugar:​ I like to use fine granulated sugar. Normal granulated sugar can be used as well.
• Egg:​ Beat your egg and use half of it for the recipe. No need to separate the egg and only use the yolk or egg whites.
• Lemon zest: This one is optional, but I like the fresh addition of the zest and always use it. I can recommend to try this out if you’ve never tried it before.

And that’s it. Simple isn’t it? But now for the differences according to the American recipes for almond paste I’ve seen:

• Sugar: I like to use my (fine) granulated sugar, but I’ve seen recipes with powdered sugar as well. Powdered sugar provides a finer texture, so If you like that it’s totally fine to make it this way. Fine granulated sugar gives a more coarse texture which I like. Fun fact: if you want to make homemade marzipan, you definitely should use icing sugar!
• Egg white:​ Most recipes only use egg whites. To be honest: that’s a perfect option as well. I’m just used to use a beaten egg.
• Almond extract: I was surprised to see almond extract in so many recipes. You can add it if you like a more intense almond flavor, but it’s not necessary at all because the almonds itself already have a rich almond flavor.

That’s all you need to know to make this homemade version of almond paste. The taste is amazing and way better than the packages of paste you can find in the baking aisle at your local grocery store.

Both in terms of ingredients and equipment, this recipe is simple. A bowl and a (wooden) spatula are all you need. And maybe a food processor or stand mixer if you want. Remember: make sure your ingredients are on room temperature before you start.

What is almond paste?

Almond paste is simply a mixture of mostly almonds and sugar. These are mixed together in equal parts with lemon zest and a little egg. The lemon zest is a flavoring and the egg ensures that the almond paste remains creamy and holds together well during baking.

The paste is used a lot in Dutch desserts. Think of Christmas cake, filled speculaas or cookies filled with almond paste. These are all delicious, typical Dutch treats with an almond paste filling.

But there’s more! I love a good almond cake myself. Oh, and have you tried almond croissants?! Make them at home with your homemade paste!

Why does it needs time to mature?

In my recipe you can read that for best results you should let the almond paste mature overnight in the refrigerator. By letting it ripen, the flavor becomes stronger and better. So if you start on time, it would be even better to let it mature in the fridge for a few days. No time at all? Just use the paste right away after you’ve made it, no problem at all.

Is almond paste the same as marzipan?

No, it is not the same. Marzipan contains proportionally more sugar, and the recipe calls for icing sugar instead of granulated sugar.

Can I make almond paste without almonds?

It’s pretty obvious the recipe calls for almonds, but maybe you’re allergic to almonds or just don’t like them very much. Fortunately, you can make an alternative paste without almonds. For example, you can replace the almonds with pecans, macadamia nuts, or pistachios.

Recipes with almond paste

If you’re making almond paste, you probably also need a recipe that uses almond paste. I have a few of those recipes which I will share with you. Most of them are Dutch recipes, we somehow love to bake with it.

• Dutch banketstaaf (almond paste filled pastry log)
• Gevulde speculaas (Dutch almond paste filled spiced cookie bars)
• Gevulde koeken (Dutch almond paste filled cookies)

Sometimes a question gets asked little or not at all, and then suddenly you get it several times a week. It is as if everyone suddenly has the same idea. I always find that rather peculiar. In this case, I’m talking about flavored buttercream or more specifically; how to flavor buttercream.

I think my basic buttercream recipe is absolutely fantastic but it is a basic recipe for a good reason. You can vary it endlessly! And with buttercream you can not only vary the flavor but also the color.

In terms of the different colors, you can simply use a gel food coloring, which is the easiest thing to do. But you can also use different ingredients for creating that effect while some methods also introduce a flavor along with the color. Another super easy way to do this is to add different extracts (like vanilla extract) to the buttercream.

So flavoring buttercream is not difficult but there are few things to consider.

What should you look out for?

There is a lot you can do when introducing different flavors into your buttercream, but also a few things you need to be aware of.

Depending on what you’re adding you could run the risk of the buttercream becoming too liquid or thin. Which is obviously something you don’t want.

Moisture and temperature

The two most important things to consider are moisture and temperature. Butter does not mix well with (too liquid) moisture, so neither does buttercream. A small amount of liquid is still an option, but it is wise to add this in portions.

Temperature is also really important. Make sure your flavor ingredients are at the same temperature as your homemade buttercream. If the temperatures are too different you run the risk of your buttercream splitting. Same goes for adding too much liquid.

Chocolate Flavor

Probably the most popular buttercream flavor is chocolate. And with good reason as chocolate buttercream frosting is easy to make and can be done in two different ways. The easiest way is to add unsweetened cocoa powder. Just add the powder to taste and you have the best buttercream frosting in chocolate flavor.

Another way to add chocolate is to add melted chocolate to the cream. Make sure you let the chocolate get to room temperature (just like the cream) and then fold it into the cream. You can use the bowl of a stand mixer if you want and do this at low speed with the whisk attachment. Although doing this by hand is just as easy.

You can make white chocolate cream this way (so good! I’ll share my recipe soon!) Or use your favorite chocolate bar, the sky’s the limit!

Fruit Flavors

Using fruit to flavor your buttercream is also very good, but can sometimes be a bit tricky. You can put pieces of fruit through the cream, which is easy (and tasty!). But if you don’t want pieces of fruit, but a fruit flavor, you have to be a bit more careful.

You will be using fruit puree or fruit juice, which brings me back to the question of moisture. In order to avoid the risk of the mixture splitting you can boil down your (for instance) strawberry puree for making strawberry buttercream to reduce the amount of liquid in the puree.

This way you have evaporated most of the moisture and you’re left with a more concentrated flavor and a thicker liquid. You want the right consistency between the frosting recipe and the flavor you’re adding.

Jam

An alternative is to use jam, which can also be used to flavor your buttercream. However, do not add too much. There will be a tipping point where your mixture becomes runny and it is difficult to predict when this will happen. So keep adding small amounts and test in between to see if the flavor is right. That is the best way to avoid having the mixture split.

More flavors

Now I have given you the tips for the requests I receive most often, but there is so much more you can do. Think about adding lemon curd for instance for a lemon flavor, nut pastes (peanut butter, almond paste and such) are also a great idea for a more nutty end result. Use a delicious caramel sauce (or dulce de leche!) for a caramel buttercream, sprinkle bits of cookies through it or make a chocolate cream with bits of fresh fruit.

The possibilities are endless, and that’s the fun part!

And perhaps most importantly, here is my basic buttercream recipe which is an ermine frosting recipe that is perfect for adapting to your needs! You can use this base for all kinds of flavor combinations.