Redux: Lemon Bars

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Pucker Up

What if life didn’t give us lemons? No lemonade, nothing to jazz up a roast chicken or grilled fish, and—perish the thought—no lemon bars? The sweet-tart confection is a perennial favorite for a reason. Brownies and blondies will always have their place, but, let’s face it, lemon bars have dimension. “Lemon is a refreshing flavor, and can be used to make desserts that are bright, full-flavored, and not heavy for the perfect ending to a meal,” says Andy Wolf, pastry chef at Blue Dog Bakery & Café in Louisville, Kentucky, who spiked his lemon curd with yuzu and folded sesame into the crust for a bar with an Asian twist. Over at Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Alabama, Pastry Chef Dolester Miles, who admits a weakness for all things lemony, offers us her go-to classic version. Both are perfectly balanced, their citrus tang shining through a foundation of sugar and butter to renew our palates, and in this last stretch of winter, our spirits too.