Lemon Squares

[b-man]

Lemon Squares

Everyone's favorite on the cookie tray, lemon squares are traditionally made with egg- and sugar-rich lemon custard on top of a buttery shortbread crust. This version preserves the tangy lemon flavor and crumbly crust, while sparing you most of the butter and a lot of the sugar. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice and zest — nothing else does quite as well.

Number of Servings: 16
Serving Size: 1 square

Ingredients:

cake flour - 1 cup
granulated sugar - 2 tbsp
grated lemon zest - 1 tsp
unsalted butter - 1 tbsp
canola oil - 2 tbsp
low-fat (1%) buttermilk - 3 tbsp
all-purpose flour - 3 tbsp
baking powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1/8 tsp
eggs - 2
granulated sugar - 2/3 cup
fresh lemon juice - 1/3 cup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, toss together the cake flour, sugar, and zest. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Gradually add the oil, stirring with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle with the buttermilk and stir until the dough begins to hold together.

3. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake until light golden along the edges, 13-15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and lemon juice until frothy. Add the reserved flour mixture and beat just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture over the hot crust and bake until the top is set and the edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool completely in the pan and cut into 16 squares.

Exchanges Per Serving

1 Carbohydrate
1/2 Fat

Nutrition Information

Amount per serving
Calories 106
Calories from Fat 29
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 29 mg
Sodium 42 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 10 g
Protein 2 g

B-man