Description
The bright flavor of lemon combined with poppy seeds really kicks the traditional lemon bar up a notch. They’re vibrant, fresh tasting, and pleasantly sweet. I like to use black poppy seeds for a pop of color and just a little more eye appeal.
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, or as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine butter and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy
- 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour
- salt
- and cardamom; mix until just combined. Stir in poppy seeds until evenly distributed. Press dough evenly into the prepared baking dish with floured hands.
- Bake crust in the preheated oven until edges are just starting to brown
- about 18 minutes.
- While the crust is baking
- combine sugar
- eggs
- lemon juice
- and lemon zest in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth
- 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until just combined.
- As soon as the crust comes out of the oven
- pour the filling into it and return to the oven.
- Bake until filling is puffy and lightly browned around the edges
- about 30 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool completely before cutting into 16 squares. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 16