Decadent Lemon Bars

Somehow we are only two weeks out from July 4th, the midpoint of summer, and I haven’t accomplished half of my summer bucket list items! I still have geraniums to plant! One thing I have done a lot of lately is bake. Last weekend I contributed 4 dozen mini cupcakes to a fundraiser for a local animal shelter and I made buckeye brownie bites and lemon bars for my sister’s 40th birthday party.

My absolute go-to recipe for lemon bars (since 2013!) is Taste of Home Bake Sale Lemon Bars. This recipe is very simple to make and people rave about them every time. On the one hand they are light and melt in your mouth, and on the other they feel like a decadent little bite. These bars are a nice counterpoint to heavy desserts on a hot day.

For the birthday party I baked these with Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Artisan Flour Blend instead of wheat flour and people couldn’t believe they were gluten-free. I found that with GF flour I had to be more cautious of underbaking the first layer of the bars — I recommend baking for 18 minutes to start and then baking an additional two minutes at a time while you wait for the base to achieve a golden brown color.

I use Italian Volcano Organic Lemon Juice which I always have on hand (I get it in two-packs from Costco). I always line the pan with parchment to ensure that I won’t lose any lemony goodness to the bottom of the pan (it was a very sad day that I learned that lesson).

Consider this recipe for any 4th of July picnicking you may get up to! I’ve also made these for my book club, the Teacher Appreciation lunch and countless pot lucks. In my experience these bars will keep nicely in the fridge one or two days ahead of time.

What I’m (re-)reading: The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution: A Proven 4-Week Program to Rescue Your Metabolism, Hormones, Mind & Mood

What my 9-year old is reading: The Last Olympian

PS did you know that Barnes & Noble has a free summer reading program for kids? When they finish, they can choose a free book!