Luscious Lemon Squares

Pucker Up~
I was planning on serving a plate of fruit to some friends tonight and wanted a baked treat as well but when I thought about a chocolate chip cookie and a piece of pineapple- I puckered up! That is just an AWFUL combination! I decided to make lemon bars. They were a perfect treat to go along side the fruit platter. And it's made out of ingredients I usually have right on hand!

Luscious Lemon Squares

Preheat your oven to about 350. It's always hard for me to guess since I am accustomed to using an over-sized toaster oven. Just get your oven hot! :)

1 cup flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix these three ingredients in a bowl until crumbly and pat into a small 9x9 pan. Bake for about 10- 15 minutes. You don't really want to see any browning yet. Pull it out and let cool while you mix the filling.

Filling
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons lemon juice ( I use the bottled juice)
Powdered sugar for dusting

Using the same bowl you made the crust in, combine all these ingredients and whisk a few times. Pour over the crust and bake until the edges are golden brown and the top looks set (doesn't move when you take out the pan). Cool for a bit and gently dust the top with powdered sugar. Don't attempt to cut the bars until a cooled completely. One thing that helps keep a clean cut to the bars, is to wipe the knife with a wet paper towel every once in awhile.