Description
Delight in these tangy and sweet Lemon-Cranberry Bars, perfect for a festive holiday dessert or a bright, refreshing treat. Featuring a buttery crust and a luscious lemon custard layer swirled with tart cranberry sauce, they offer a wonderful balance of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- Cooking spray
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For the Filling
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 medium lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce
For Garnish
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and dust it lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
- Make the Crust: In a mixing bowl, cream together the unsalted butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the Crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from oven but keep the oven on.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 cup flour until smooth and well combined.
- Add Cranberry Sauce: Gently swirl the 1 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce into the lemon custard mixture, creating a marbled effect without fully mixing.
- Pour Filling Over Crust: Carefully pour the lemon and cranberry filling over the pre-baked crust, spreading it out evenly.
- Bake the Bars: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the lemon filling is set and slightly golden on top. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out mostly clean.
- Cool and Dust: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust the top generously with powdered sugar.
- Serve: Cut into 16 bars and serve chilled or at room temperature for a sweet and tart dessert treat.
Notes
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor and the freshest zest and juice.
- Chilling the crust dough before baking can enhance texture but is optional.
- For easier slicing, refrigerate the bars for at least 1 hour before cutting.
- Substitute cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries cooked with sugar if desired.
- Dusting with powdered sugar is optional but adds a nice decorative and sweet touch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 237 kcal
- Sugar: 28.5 g
- Sodium: 138 mg
- Fat: 7.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.6 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3.0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
