Meyer Lemon Bar Brûlée

Here’s what happens when you add a blow torch to your kitchen arsenal:  you find an excuse to toast or brûlée everything in sight.  When you have fire from a portable gun, why wouldn’t you top everything in sugar and crisp it?  It’s foolish not to, frankly.

Can we make nachos with a kitchen torch?  There’s only one way to find out.  

Let’s focus on the matter at hand:  buttery shortbread crust, sweet and tangy Meyer lemon filling, topped with caramelized and crisp sugar.  Brûléed sugar, because we have actual torch fire in our hands.  

Classic lemon bars, with a small stroke of genius.  

This recipe was inspired by Christina of Dessert For Two.  I happen to believe in dessert for too many, but Christina is reasonable and disciplined where I am not.  Old habits (die hard).  

We start with the crust.  

Crust is a scary word but this is a press-in shortbread so rest easy!

Softened shortbread and powdered sugar and Go!  

Flour and salt are added to the fluffy butter and sugar mixture.  

That’s it!  That was too easy, right? 

The crust goes away to bake in the oven while the filling is real-quick whisked together.  

I used Meyer lemons for this recipe because I LOVE how they smell, they’re slightly sweeter than regular lemons, and they were the same price as regular lemons at Whole Foods and I was like, wait a minute… Meyer lemons are more fancy and classy than regular lemons so why would I buy these boring old regular lemons when these Meyer lemons are looking mighty fine and wait… why am I spending 99cents per lemon anyway… I need a lemon tree that I won’t kill, GEEZ!

So that’s why we’re using Meyer lemons.  Cool story.  

Eggs are whisked with the sugar.  

Yes, that’s a pie plate I’m using as a mixing bowl.  I was like… which bowl will I hate the least when I have to wash it?  This one!  Scalloped edges.  I dunno. 

Lemon zest in with the sugar and eggs.  Lots of flavor in that zest. Don’t sleep on the zest.  

Flour, lemon juice, and a splash of vanilla extract to finish of the super easy filling.  

You’re right.  It smells delicious. 

The filling is poured over the warm, baked shortbread crust.  

Baked until fragrant and firm.  Golden brown around the edges.  

We’re almost at torch time!

The lemon bars are cooled and sliced.  

It helps to run a knife along the sides of the pan to help the lemon bars out of the pan.  

I like to slice the bars before brûlée-ing them to avoid cracking the crisp sugar with slicing.  

Sliced and sugar sprinkled.  A thin but aggressive layer of granulated sugar.  

A wave of the magic wand kitchen torch will brown, caramelize and  if you’re not careful, quickly burn the bars.  A light touch.  It’s fire and sugar.  

I like to brûlée the bars just before serving to ensure that they’re freshly crisp, otherwise the sugar may tend to soften and weep.  

Now… what are we going to torch next!? 

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