My Nana made the best lemon bars known to man. I can remember her bringing them to birthday parties and Christmas. She always made the best food! If I close my eyes, I can still see her standing by the stove on the bright blue linoleum floor making me scrambled eggs and cinnamon coffee cake. Even though Nana Hancock passed 20 years ago, many of her vibrant and irresistible recipes live on! My mom and I make her recipes regularly and now you can too!
First, mix together 2 cups of flour with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Cut in 2 sticks of butter using a pastry cutter.
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, your hands will work just fine! Squeeze the flour and butter together until it is crumbly.
Press all the dough into a 13×9 glass pan. Try your best to make sure the dough is level and pressed into the corners. Bake it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
While the dough is baking, set to work on the lemon filling for the lemon bars. You’ll need to beat 4 eggs with a hand mixer in a medium-sized bowl until they are fluffy. I had my daughter Nevaeh help me. She is always wanting to be included in cooking tasks and this is an easy one for her. Gradually beat in 2 cups of sugar and 1/3 cup of lemon juice.
Use a sifter to sift in 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. This was Nevaeh’s favorite part. Look at the concentration on her face!
Slowly incorporate the two together and then pour it over the crust once it has come out of the oven.
Bake the lemon bars at 350 degrees for another 25 minutes or until they are slightly browned on top. Once the lemon bars have completely cooled, sift some powdered sugar on top and cut them into squares.
I love the bright layers on these lemon bars! And the lemony flavor is just as dazzling on the taste buds!
Once cooled, the lemon bars have a crunchy crust on the top, a smushy (is that a word?) lemon filling, and a soft shortbread-tasting layer on the bottom. To me, it is a texture and flavor paradise! But word to the wise, don’t wear a black shirt when eating one of these! The powdered sugar has a way of getting everywhere!
Nana Hancock passed down several other family recipes you’ll want to try out! Among my favorites are:
4 Ingredient Sweet and Sour Chicken
Disappearing Butterscotch Cookies
Does your Grandma have some of the best food in the world? What recipes in your home have been passed down several generations? I would love to hear all about them, so tell me in the comments section below. Happy cooking y’all!
Nana Hancock's Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup flour divided
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
- 2 sticks butter cubed
- 4 eggs beaten
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar into medium sized bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut in cubed butter until the dough is crumbly.
- Pat the dough into a 13x9 glass pan, pressing flat and into the corners.
- Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- Meanwhile, beat 4 eggs with a hand mixer until fluffy.
- Gradually beat in the white sugar and lemon juice.
- Sift in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and the baking powder using a sifter.
- Incorporate gently and then pour the mixture over the cooled crust.
- Bake the lemon bars again at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.
- Once completely cooled, sift remaining powdered sugar over the top and cut in squares.