Ina Garten's Lemon Bars - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you freeze ina Garten's lemon bars? ›

Dust with powdered sugar before cutting into bars and serving. Store lemon bars in the fridge for up to 3 days (can also be frozen).

Reprinted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Copyright 1999 by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publisher.

Serving, Storing, and Freezing

Serving: Lemon bars are fine to keep out at room temperature for up to 6 hours or so. Storing: Store cooked lemon bars or leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour in a medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, then lemon juice until smooth. Pour filling over the baked crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Yes, lemon bars freeze beautifully—they are even good frozen! To freeze the bars, let them cool completely and freeze the batch whole, covered tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, for up to three months. (The cut bars can also be frozen in a single layer.)

Underbaking: This is the most common reason for gooey lemon bars. The filling needs enough time to set, which can be tricky since oven temperatures can vary and the visual cues for doneness are subtle. Solution: Bake the bars until the filling is just set and no longer wobbles when you gently shake the pan.

The one meal Ina simply couldn't live without is roast chicken. She even cites it as one of the reasons her husband, Jeffrey, proposed marriage in 1968.

The sauce has garlic, thyme and lemon, and has so much flavor," Garten says. "And the whole thing takes like 5 minutes to put together... The best thing about this is that it makes the chicken and the sauce at the same time." Serve it over rice or quinoa, and the grains can absorb all of the sauce, Garten recommends.

Her fame may be relatively quiet — she doesn't have a line of cookware, there isn't a namesake restaurant — but make no mistake: Ina Garten is a powerhouse celeb chef. Fans know her story well: From a White House budget analyst to specialty food-store owner, her path to stardom has been slow and steady.

Seeing a thin whitish foamy layer of air bubbles on top of your baked lemon bars is completely normal. It is the air bubbles created from whisking the eggs rising to the surface during baking. Lemon bars taste the same with or without that layer and a dusting of icing sugar covers it right up!

Can lemon bars go bad? ›

To store lemon bars, simply place in an airtight container and seal tightly, then put them in the fridge. If you're stacking lemon bars, insert a sheet of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. According to the USDA, lemon bars will last in the refrigerator up to 7 days.

The most common reason for gooey lemon bars is they're undercooked. Be sure to bake them until the top is fully set and no longer jiggly in the middle. You'll also notice the edges will start to brown.

If your lemon bars have a strong eggy taste/smell, it's likely due to the lemon curd being overbaked. Be sure to take the lemon bars out of the oven as soon as they're done. Your oven may also be running a little hot.

There are a couple of things that can impact the integrity of your lemon bars. The first is if your crust has cracks in it and the lemon curd fills in the cracks. This can cause your lemon bar to break! It may also break if you don't bake the crust long enough or the lemon layer is underbaked.

Don't Over-Bake.

If you leave them in the oven too long, it can cause your bars to crack.

Separate bars with waxed paper between the layers. Remove as much air as possible and seal tightly. Label all packages with the name of the recipe and the date. Bar cookie, like all baked products, should be stored at 0°F or lower.

Once the meringue is golden, the pie can be returned to the freezer for a few minutes if you are unable to serve it right away. Or, pack the completed pie in an airtight container to freeze for up to 2 weeks. Place the re-frozen pie in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to soften before slicing.

You can freeze lemon wedges or slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, or whole lemons. Always wash fruit with soap and water or a fruit and vegetable wash before starting the prep work for freezing.

The peel can be thinly sliced for delicate shreds. Divide your zest into ½ or single teaspoon portions on a plate and place in the freezer. Once frozen, store in a zipper-seal freezer bag, and return to the freezer for later use, up to three months!