One of my most cherished possessions is my grandma’s cookbook. Really, it is nothing more than a small, tattered, binder, but I treasure it for its contents. The worn pages hold tiny slips of paper, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes from Grandma’s years of recipe collecting. Today I want to share with you my Grandma’s Lemon Bars. I have enjoyed these lemon bars for years, and every time Grandma made them, it was a special occasion. Whether it was a graduation party, a birthday gathering, or just because, Grandma’s Lemon Bars were always a hit!
Tomorrow my extended family is hosting their yearly wiener roast. This has been a tradition my entire life…it’s such a long-standing tradition that my mom has enjoyed it her entire life, too. 🙂 However, it will be a little bittersweet, as this is the first wiener roast that my grandma will not be there. She went to heaven almost two years ago, yet every time I enjoy these lemon bars, I remember her kind smile, adventurous attitude, and the blessings that she shared with me for 37 years.
Due to the number of people coming to the wiener roast, I doubled Grandma’s original recipe. If you’ve never tried lemon bars, they are just about the best thing ever! I adore chocolate, but these bars are amazing! Imagine the best lemon shake up you’ve had at the state fair. (Yes, the batter tastes just like a lemon shake up…my students would be ashamed of me if they knew I had licked a beater to find out! Please don’t tell!) These lemon bars, though, are like none other that I’ve tried because they contain coconut. The coconut is not a necessary ingredient, but it adds something a little extra special.
The recipe for the lemon bars is very easy. A simple crust is patted into a 9×13 pan and baked while the filling is prepared. The simple filling of sugar, eggs, baking powder, lemon juice, lemon zest, and coconut is mixed together and spread over the crust and baked until lightly golden. A dusting of powdered sugar before serving and these elegant little treats are perfect for any family gathering, even an outside wiener roast. These are a step up from S’mores, let me tell you! 🙂 The buttery crust and creamy filling are super rich and super special!
Recipe Overview
Simple ingredients begin the recipe, though the butter, eggs, and lemons are the most important! (In my opinion.)
The butter is cut into the flour/sugar crust mixture until it looks like coarse sand. See how little the pieces of butter look?
Next, zest and juice the lemons. Bottled juice is OK, but fresh is SO MUCH better!
Mix together the rest of the filling ingredients. It should be lightly yellow like the picture above.
Bake at 350° F for 23-25 minutes, or until slightly brown like the above picture. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar, cut to desired bar size, and store in the refrigerator until time to serve.
I encourage you to share these lemon bars with your family. The time we have together is never long enough, and it is so important to make memories while we can with the people we love! My family means the world to me, and I try to show them every day how special they are. Thanks to my wonderful Great-Aunt May (Grandma’s sweet sister) and all her family for making our times together incredible. I am so blessed to have been given the family I have. Hugs to you all!
Notes
Fresh lemons are best, though bottled lemon juice will do in a pinch. To use fresh lemons, be sure to roll them on the counter several times to bruise prior to zesting or juicing. This will release more juice when squeezed.
Ingredients
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 c. cold butter
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. flour
- 1 t. baking powder
- 4 eggs, beaten until light and lemon colored
- 4 T. lemon juice (freshly squeezed is the best!)
- 2 t. grated lemon zest
- 1 c. flaked coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 c. flour and 1/2 c. powdered sugar.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse sand.
- Scrape out the bowl and pat the mixture evenly into a 9x13 baking pan and bake for 15-17 minutes, but not until browned.
- In the same mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 1/2 c. flour and baking powder. Add the beaten eggs and blend thoroughly with a hand mixer.
- Add the lemon juice, zest, and coconut.
- Spread mixture on baked crust and bake for another 23-25 minutes, or until very lightly browned.
- Cool, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into bars.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator.