Categories: bars

Ingredients

• 1 Quick Cookie Bar Crust (see recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fresh strained lemon juice
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar
• COOKIE CRUST
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but cool
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oats, quick or old-fashioned
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cold water

Directions

1. Prepare the Quick Cookie Bar Crust and allow it to cool in the pan.

2. COOKIE CRUST

3. Heat the oven to 350º, then butter a 13- by 9-inch pan and set it aside.
4. Cream the softened butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the oats, then stir in the flour a third at a time, rubbing in the last bit of it by hand to make coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on the water and rub briefly.
5. Press the dough into the pan, spreading it evenly into the bottom and very slightly up the sides. Chill the pan for 15 minutes. Then bake the pastry on the center oven rack for 15 minutes. Transfer the crust, in the pan, to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
6. Heat the oven to 350°. Combine the sugar, flour, salt, eggs, and yolk in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, then the milk. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until evenly blended.
7. Pour the filling over the crust and tilt the pan gently from side to side to spread it evenly. Bake the bars on the center oven rack until the filling is set and just barely beginning to turn golden, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. When the bars are barely warm, dust them lightly with confectioners’ sugar using a sifter or fine sieve. Chill for at least 1 hour, then lightly dust them again with confectioners’ sugar before slicing. Makes up to 24 bars.

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