Day 78: Lemon bars

These are delicious, I have been making them since 2002 and they are very popular at work!

250g plain flour
120g icing sugar
170g butter / margarine
3 eggs
350g caster sugar
5 tbs concentrated lemon juice from bottle, not fresh
3 tbs plain flour

The original recipe used a 9" x 13" tray-bake tin, which is a standard USA size, I don't have one so make it in a 7" by 11" tin, it comes out fine.  Lakeland do a 12" by 9" tin, which would also work.  Make sure the baking parchment comes over the top edge of the tin, so you can lift out the completed bake more easily.

Preheat oven to 175C / 160C fan / Gas 4 / 350F.  Mix the flour, icing sugar and butter/margarine into a soft dough.  Place in a 1" deep baking tray lined with parchment and spread out the dough so that the whole base is covered evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes.
Whilst the base is baking, make the topping.  Whisk the eggs, caster sugar, flour and lemon juice until frothy.  When base is baked, pour the mixture over and return to the oven for a further 20 - 25 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift the entire bake in its parchment and transfer to a wire rack, it will cool much faster out of the tin.  Cut into bars when completely cold.