Lemon Bars   From The Cookie Party Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Cookie Exchange St. Martin's Press/Macmillan by Robin Olson (www.cookie-exchange.com) Lemony and luscious with a pastry crust. I’ve always loved Lemon Bars. In recent years, it’s become one of my husband’s most requested bar cookies, so I always end up making them several times throughout the holiday season—I think I just gained a pound by thinking about them!

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Crust 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Lemon Layer
4 large eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

To make the crust, combine the butter, flour, and confectioners’ sugar.
Press the dough into a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until light brown.

For the lemon layer, using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until light and foamy. Add the flour and baking powder and beat until incorporated.

Add lemon zest, if you like. Pour over the baked crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the liquid does not move when the pan is slightly tipped; it should have formed a golden crust.

Let cool slightly, then sift confectioners’ sugar over the top while warm and cut into 2-inch squares.   Makes 24 bars