Meyer Lemon Bars

My parents have a dwarf Meyer lemon tree in their newly landscaped backyard, so I thought a pan of lemon bars would be just the thing! I dialed back the sugar to compensate for the reduced tartness of Meyer lemons, and added vanilla to the crust because everything is better with vanilla.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Ina Garten.

1/2 lb unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt

5 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/4 c sugar
Grated zest and juice from 5-6 Meyer lemons (about 5 tsp zest and 2/3 c juice)
2/3 c flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9x13" baking pan.

Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and mix gently until a dough forms. Gather the dough together and flatten into the baking pan as evenly as you can. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just lightly browned. Remove crust from oven to cool, leaving the oven on.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, zest, juice, and flour. Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set but the edges have not browned. Allow to cool before cutting. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.