Rose's Baking Basics

Lemon Butter Squares

Makes Sixteen 2 inch squares

Oven Temperature: 325°F/160°C for the shortbread; 300°F/150°C for the lemon curd

Baking Time: 30 to 40 minutes for the shortbread; 10 minutes for the lemon curd

Baking Equipment: One 8 by 2 inch square pan, bottom and two sides lined with a 16 by 8 inch strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil, extending a few inches past the edges of the pan

These classic lemon curd–topped shortbread cookies, cut into bars or squares, are one of the most beloved sweets for any time of year.

Crust

Dough for Scottish Shortbread Cookies

335 grams

1 recipe

Preheat the Oven

▪ Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 325ºF/160ºC.

Press the Dough into the Pan

1. Use your fingers to press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Use a fork to prick the dough all over.

Bake the Shortbread

2. Bake for 20 minutes. For even baking, rotate the pan halfway around. Continue baking for 10 to 20 minutes, until the surface is pale golden. The edges may begin to brown lightly. Remove it to a wire rack.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF/150ºC.

Lemon Curd Makes 330 grams/1¼ cups

unsalted butter, softened	57 grams	4 tablespoons (½ stick)
lemon zest, finely grated (about 1 lemon)	4 grams	2 teaspoons, loosely packed
lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained (about 3 lemons)	95 grams	¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (89 ml)
5 (to 8) large egg yolks (see Baking Pearls)	93 grams	¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (89 ml)
granulated sugar	150 grams	¾ cup
fine sea salt	.	a pinch
powdered sugar, for dusting	18 grams	2 tablespoons

Mise en Place

▪ Thirty minutes to 1 hour ahead, set the butter on the counter.

▪ With dish washing liquid, wash the lemons. Rinse, dry, and zest them into a medium bowl (see Citrus Zest). Set a medium-mesh strainer suspended over the bowl.

▪ Into a 1 cup measure with a spout, weigh or measure the lemon juice.

▪ Into a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, weigh or measure the egg yolks.

Make the Lemon Curd

1. Add the butter and granulated sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until blended.

2. Whisk in the lemon juice and salt.

3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and scraping the sides of the pan as needed, until thickened to a consistency resembling hollandaise sauce. It should thickly coat the spatula but still be liquid enough to pour. The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of the spatula. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. If steam appears, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly, to keep the mixture from boiling.

4. When the curd has thickened and pools slightly when a little is dropped back on its surface, pour it immediately into the strainer over the bowl with the lemon zest. Press it through into the bowl.

5. Stir gently to mix in the lemon zest.

6. Pour the hot lemon curd on top of the baked shortbread.

Bake the Lemon Squares

7. Bake for 10 minutes to set the lemon curd.

Cool the Squares

8. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to ensure that the lemon curd is firm enough to cut well.

Cut the Squares

9. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the pastry on the two sides without the aluminum foil. Lift out the shortbread by grasping the two ends of the foil and set it on a counter. Use a long sharp knife to cut 16 squares.

10. Dust with powdered sugar shortly before serving.

Store Airtight: room temperature, 3 days; refrigerated, not dusted with powdered sugar, 3 weeks.

Baking Pearls

Briefly baking the lemon curd enables the egg yolks to rebond and will make it possible to cut cleanly.

The ratio of white to yolk in an egg can vary to such a degree that you may need as few as 5 or as many as 8 eggs for this recipe. It is therefore advisable to weigh or measure the separated yolks and add or reduce if needed.

Variation

Lime Curd

Replace the lemon juice and zest with equal amounts of lime. Decrease the granulated sugar to 100 grams/½ cup. If desired, for an attractive pale green color, add a few drops of green liquid food coloring.

Making Lemon Butter Squares