Dee's Famous Lemon Meringue Bars
Cameo Culinary Club - Dee's Famous Lemon Meringue Bars
It's summertime and you know what that means: longer days, impromptu vacations, and trying to look classy as you eat your bodyweight in baby back ribs. When it comes to summer parties it's all about the food. And even though burgers sizzling on a grill may get mouths watering, ending the bash on a sweet note is essential if you want partygoers to leave smiling. But when the temperature is boiling, the last thing you want to ask gamey guests at the end of a meal is, "Who wants chocolate lava cake?" No summer fete is complete without dessert, but simply handing partygoers half-melted Fudgsicles lacks certain decorum. What's a summer hostess to do? Enter these sweet and sunny lemon meringue bars. The lemony tartness is balanced by the smooth buttery crust, resulting in a luscious dessert that's sweet but not sour. Pair this refreshing dessert with Sauvignon Blanc or a late-harvest Riesling for ultimate flavor nirvana.
—The Girls at Cameo
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- 6 large eggs (plus 4 large egg whites)
- 2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
MAKE CRUST:
- Put butter, flour, confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix on medium speed until well blended.
- Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet.
- Press batter evenly into baking sheet.
- Chill in freezer 10 minutes.
- Bake until golden (20-22 minutes).
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
MAKE FILLING:
- Whisk together whole eggs, 1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon zest.
- Pour over crust. Bake until filling is set (18 to 20 minutes).
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Keep oven at 350 degrees.
MAKE MERINGUE TOPPING:
- Put egg whites and ½ cup granulated sugar in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form.