Lemon Curd Bars

Happy Easter!! I was going through old magazines for my son's at-home art project the week before last.  I came across a few Cook's Illustrated magazines and got sidetracked looking at them.  I enjoy the magazines but haven't really make much from them.  I decided on these Lemon Bars.  After making them, I realized they are really lemon curd bars- not traditional lemon bars I'm used to.  They reminded me of these Cranberry Curd Bars, in both texture and in the way they're prepared.  You prepare a lemon curd on the stove, then bake it on the par-baked crust a few minutes until set. 

Lemon Curd Bars
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Crust:
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter , melted

Filling:
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2/3 cup juice (4 lemons)
4 tablespoons butter , cut into 8 pieces

confectioner's sugar, optional

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. 

2.  Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.  Add melted butter and stir until combined.  Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer over entire bottom of pan- do not wash bowl.  Bake crust until dark golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.  

3. For the filling: While crust bakes, whisk sugar, flour, cream of tartar, and salt together in now-empty bowl. Whish in eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain.  Whisk in lemon zest and juice.  Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring/whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 160 degrees, 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in butter.  Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over bowl.  (Straining removes the lemon zest and any accidental cooked egg bits.)

4.  Pour filling over hot crust and tilt pan to spread evenly.  Bake until filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken; 8-12 minutes.  Let bars cool completely, at least 1.5 hours.  Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired.  

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