Easy Lemon Bars - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can I use foil instead of parchment paper for lemon bars? ›

Line your 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper. I've used both. Foil tends to stick to the bottom of the lemon bars a bit, so if I had to choose one, I'd say use parchment paper.

The crust forms when the sugar in the lemon bar mixture caramelizes and browns during baking, creating a slightly firm, crispy layer over the bars. The top crust isn't always visible, as we all enjoy sprinkling powdered sugar on top of the bars before serving.

The crust in most lemon bars usually starts with creaming or rubbing softened butter with a mixture of flour and sugar. Instead of softened butter, I prefer to use melted butter.

Acidic ingredients can cause the metallic pots or spoons to leach into the ingredients. Whenever making things with lemon, vinegar or other highly acidic ingredients it is best to stick with heatproof glass bowls and pans, stainless steel pots and silicone utensils.

You will get6 bars with a little extra space for a sample for the cook, to taste for quality control. If 9" seem too long , cut in half and you will have a nice dozen. I spray my pans with oil so the food slips out easily, and I start by cutting the food in half; cut the halves in half; and so on.

I have found that a hot, wet, very sharp knife helps quite a bit. Also, make sure the bars are completely chilled before cutting.

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).

Brown spots vary in appearance and can indicate a range of problems. Uniform spots with clear boundaries often point to fungal issues, while irregular blotches could signal bacterial infections. Spots with a yellow halo might be citrus canker, and those that look like tiny scabs could be a sign of lemon scab disease.

If your lemon bars have a strong eggy taste/smell, it's likely due to the lemon curd being overbaked. Be sure to take the lemon bars out of the oven as soon as they're done.

Why did my lemon bars turn out upside down? ›

Set a timer for 5 minutes after pulling the crust from the oven to ensure it doesn't cool too much—if the shortbread is allowed to reach room temperature, the uncooked lemon curd will slip off the top and pool in the bottom of the dish, turning your lemon bars upside down (sounds bananas until it happens to you!).

To Keep Powdered Sugar from Melting, Add Cornstarch

So go slow and be conservative with the amount of cornstarch you add. A good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for every 1/4 cup of powdered sugar used.

First, a little citrus anatomy lesson:

You can zest it (yes, zest is both the name for the lemon rind and the action you take to remove it) to capture lemon's essential fragrance and flavor in order to enhance almost anything you're cooking. Beneath the lop layer is the white, spongy pith, which is unpleasantly bitter.

Aluminum Foil with Oil: Good for Baking, Especially at Hotter Temperatures. Aluminum foil with oil is another good substitute for parchment paper. As with a greased baking sheet, the fat may subtly impact the way your food cooks. Additionally, there is a chance that some of the food may stick to the pan.

While aluminum foil can replace parchment in many cooking and baking applications and is certainly more optimal for storage, there are a few things that only parchment can do—and you can't beat its non-stickability.

The bottom line is that you can use foil for many of the same things you would use parchment paper for, but it doesn't mean you always should. If parchment paper is for hot use, and waxed paper is for cold use, think of foil more as your alternative for insulating use.

For roasting or baking savory foods, aluminum foil is a good alternative that allows for a simple clean-up. However, foil on its own is not nonstick, so a coating of nonstick spray or oil might be necessary to prevent your food from sticking.