Cookie-Crust Lemon Bars

Submitted by newspapergal

"This recipe combines two of my DH's favorite desserts -- sugar cookies and lemon bars. Using packaged cookie dough makes this come together really quickly. I adapted this from a recipe I got in an email, and love the result of the three different sources of tart-lemonness."

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photo by Probably This

Ready In:: 1hr
Ingredients:: 9
Serves:: 36

ingredients

1 (18 ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄₂ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¹⁄₄ cup powdered sugar

directions

Heat oven to 350°F
Slice cookie dough as directed on package. Arrange slices in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch glass pan. With lightly floured fingers, press dough evenly in pan. (Even though the cookie dough is cold/just out of the fridge, pressing it down is pretty easy. It'll take the whole roll to cover the 13x9 pan).
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder; blend well. Blend together lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest. Add lemon mixture to egg-sugar mixture, and pour over warm crust.
Bake at 350°F for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cut into bars.

Questions & Replies

Do these freeze well?

Midnite7

Reviews

These lemon bars couldn't be easier, and are very good. I like how the cookie dough crust isn't as crumbly as a traditional graham cracker one. The sugar cookie is a good match to the lemon. I used extra lemon zest and extract for lots of lemon flavor. These are a winner.

Ms B.
I made these for a friends birthday by request. Used the crust from recipe #103653, but went this filling after reading the reviews.<br/>Everyone loved it including my boyfriend who is not particularly fond of sweets. <br/>I followed a few other peoples advice and made more filling and reserved some the crumb mixture for the topping.<br/>The looked great and smelled wonderful.

sapowell
Excellent, excellent squares! You have no idea how fast these vanished! Everyone was going back for seconds, thirds and fourths! I used Recipe #191861 instead of the refrigerated dough and I had enough extra to make a pan of cookies plus put a crumbled cookie dough topping on these (I added it after the lemon mixture had baked for about 10 minutes). Definitely a keeper!

_Pixie_
The sugar cookie crust is a great idea and huge time saver!

Probably This
Wonderful and easy! So good that I've had to make 2 batches in 24 hours! My husband liked so much that he's eaten into the Christmas treats I've got for Christmas Day! I'm hiding this 2nd batch! I did use Betty crocker's sugar cookie mix as a base.... Yummy!

Chef nanakaren