Perfect Lemon Bars
(from Cooks Illustrated- one of my favorite magazines!)

Notes: The lemon filling must be added to a warm crust. The 30-minute chilling & 20-minute baking of the crust should allow plenty of time to prepare the filling. If not, make the filling first & stir to blend just before pouring it into the crust. Any leftover bars can be sealed in plastic wrap & refrigerated for up to 2 days.

The Crust:
1-3/4 C. all-purpose flour
2/3 C. powdered sugar, plus extra to decorate finished bars
1/4 C. cornstarch
3/4 t. salt
12 T. unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks), at very cool room temperature, cut into 1" pieces, plus extra for greasing pan

Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1-1/3 C. granulated sugar
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 t. finely grated zest from 2 large lemons
2/3 C. juice from 3 to 4 large lemons, strained
1/3 C. whole milk
1/8 t. salt

1) For the crust: Place oven rack in middle position & preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9" baking dish & line lengthwise with one sheet parchment or waxed paper. Dot paper with butter, then lay second sheet crosswise over it.

2) Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, & salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add butter & process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse till mixture is pale yellow & resembles coarse corn meal- about three 1-second bursts. (To do this by hand- mix flour, sugar, cornstarch, & salt in medium bowl. Freeze butter & grate it on the large holes of a box grater into the flour mixture. Toss butter pieces to coat. Rub pieces between your fingers for a minute, until flour turns pale yellow & coarse.) Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into an even, 1/4" layer over entire pan bottom & 1/2" up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake till golden brown; about 20 minutes.

3) For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk eggs, sugar & flour in a medium bowl, then stir in lemon zest & juice, milk & salt to blend well.

4) To finish the bars: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to reblend; pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to cutting board by grasping the long edges of the parchment & lifting out of the pan. Fold paper edges down, and cut into serving size bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter between cuts, as necessary. Sift powdered sugar over bars, if desired. Yield: about 2 dozen squares

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