Description
Delicious and tangy Lemon Curd Bars featuring a buttery crumbly base topped with a smooth and zesty lemon curd layer, finished with a crunchy crumble topping. Perfect for dessert or a sweet snack, these bars are easy to make and ideal for gatherings or teatime treats.
Ingredients
Base and Crumble
- 295 g plain flour (all purpose flour) (2 ¼ cups/10.4oz)
- ⅔ cup white sugar (134g/~4 ¾oz)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 200 g unsalted butter (cold, divided: 30g melted + 170g cold) (7oz total, 1oz melted + 6oz cold)
Filling
- 1 cup lemon curd (260g/~9 ¼oz/250ml)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced) or 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking tin with baking paper for easy removal.
- Melt Butter: Gently melt 30g (about 2 tablespoons or 1 ounce) of the butter until just melted. Set aside to cool slightly while preparing other ingredients.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the plain flour, white sugar, and salt until well combined.
- Incorporate Cold Butter: Using the large side of a box grater, grate the remaining 170g of cold butter directly into the flour mixture. Work the grated butter into the flour with your fingertips or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with small butter pieces still visible.
- Add Melted Butter: Stir the cooled melted butter into the flour and butter mixture using a fork and your hands until evenly distributed and the mixture can be squeezed together into a crumbly clump.
- Divide Mixture: Reserve approximately one-third of the crumbly mixture for the topping. Press the remaining two-thirds evenly into the base of the prepared baking tin to form the crust.
- Bake Base: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until lightly set.
- Cool Base: Remove from oven and let the base cool for about 10 minutes to prepare for the filling.
- Add Lemon Curd: Spread the lemon curd evenly over the cooled baked crust.
- Add Crumble Topping: Crumble and scatter the reserved one-third of the dough mixture over the lemon curd layer evenly.
- Final Bake: Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25–30 minutes, or until the crumble topping just starts to turn golden brown.
- Cool Completely: Allow the bars to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes. When cooled, transfer to a wire rack using the baking paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Cool completely before slicing.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once cooled, cut into 16 bars. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
- Feedback: Please take a moment to leave a comment and rating. It is appreciated and helpful for others!
Notes
- Use cold butter to achieve a crumbly texture that bakes into a crisp base and topping.
- Grating cold butter makes it easier to incorporate into the flour and gives a tender crumb.
- Lemon curd can be homemade or store-bought based on preference and availability.
- Allow bars to cool completely to ensure they set well before cutting.
- These bars keep well refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
- For easier slicing, refrigerate bars before cutting to firm up.
