Herbed Lemon Bars with Rosemary and Thyme
Contributor: The Spicy Betch
Updated December 2, 2023
Lemon bars are a delicious sweet and tart treat. I used to make lemon bars for my latin teacher, Magistra, for extra credit because it was her favorite cookie. Magistra was my favorite teacher, so naturally, I also love lemon bars for their taste and sentimental value. My recipe is very similar to the one I grew up with from the Betty Crocker Cookie Book, but with fresh Rosemary and Thyme added. Lavender and oregano can also pair well with citrus, so if you have extra fresh herbs around or specific herbs you prefer, throw ‘em in!
Crust
1 cup flour
8 TBSP or 1/2 cup softened or melted butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2-4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
Filling
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
Lemon zest of 1 lemon (~2 tsp)
Lemon juice of 1 lemon (~2 tbsp)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
powdered sugar
heat oven to 350
Step 1: Lemon Bar Crust
Tools needed: Mixing bowl or glass bowl, 1 cup or larger measuring cup, whisk, spatula, large spoon
Preheat the over to 350 degrees. If you use a glass measuring cup with a spout, you can use it for all of these first ingredients - less dishes! Start with 1 cup of all flour, then add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 cup of softened or melted butter, which is 8 tablespoons. If you want to save washing a knife, use the same knife to cut the butter to cut a lemon in half (if you do this, you may want to zest the lemon first). I use the wrapper of the butter to wipe the bottom and corners of the baking pan, but you can also use cooking spray. You can microwave the butter but don’t over do it, I find butter is melted enough after about 20 seconds in the microwave. Add your herbs. You don’t need to measure, but around 1-2tsp per herb sounds about right. I recommend eyeballing the volume of herbs in the dough according to how strong you want the herbal essences to shine through. If using multiple herbs, try and match the ratio of each herb to not overpower (unless that’s your goal). I find 2-4 sprigs of Thyme and 1 bushy Rosemary sprig do the trick. I pinch and tear the herbs to make them small and avoid dishes, but you can also chop them. Mix everything together with the whisk, using the rubber spatula to push the ingredients of of the side of the bowl to combine. Once well combined, spread into a 9x13 or similar volume pan(s). You’ll want this crust to be about 1/2 inch tall. Once you’ve evenly spread the crust dough, use the back of a spoon to push it down and flatten it out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.
Step 2: Lemon Bar Filling
You won’t need all 20 minutes while the crust is cooking to mix together the filling, so take this time to clean as you go to avoid a messy kitchen. Rinse the measuring cup, spatula and whisk and use the measuring cup as your whisk and spatula holder - you’ll use them again but they don’t need to be perfectly clean. Zest a lemon and then cut it in half. You’ll use the juice and zest of 1 lemon, which is about 2 tsp zest and 2 tbsp juice. Add 3 eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Whisk together vigorously until blended together and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Pour over hot crust and put it back in the over for 25-30 min still at 350.
