Lemon Squares I side with the fifty-fifty crowd, but I wanted to bake my luscious lemony topping over a brown-sugar shortbread crust. I hope you’ll find that these squares satisfy every lemon lover. Happy Christmas in July

Ingredients 

CRUST

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) chilled

unsalted butter, cut into small

chunks

TOPPING

5 large eggs

2¼ cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated

lemon zest

¾ cup fresh lemon juice (from

about 4 lemons)

1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for

dusting

Method 

FOR THE CRUST:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready an ungreased 9 × 13-inch baking pan.

PLACE the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, making sure there are no lumps of sugar remaining. Add the butter and process until the dough becomes crumbly; it will look dry, but it should feel moist when pinched.

Spread the dough in the pan, pressing down to form a smooth, even layer. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a rack

and let the crust cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.

Add the sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour the lemon mixture over the cooled crust.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the topping is set and doesn’t wiggle when the pan is moved. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely.

USING a thin, sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into 6 strips for a total of 24 squares.

Carefully remove the squares from the pan using a thin metal spatula. Just before serving, dust the lemon squares with confectioners’ sugar.

STORE, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.