Lemon Brûlée Bars by Christiaan de Vries

Step 1

Prepare the shortbread base:

• Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Line a 23 x 33cm (9 x 13 inch) baking tin with baking paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, icing sugar and salt.
• Pour in the melted butter and mix until just combined.
• Press the dough evenly into the lined tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Step 2

Make the lemon filling:

• While the base is baking, rub the lemon zest into the caster sugar to release the citrus oils.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the zested sugar and 70g flour.
• Add the lemon juice and eggs, whisking until fully combined and smooth.

Step 3

Bake the bars:

• Pour the lemon filling onto the hot shortbread base, straight out of the oven.
• Immediately return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, turning the tin halfway through for even baking.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill in the fridge until fully set.
• Take out of the tin and baking paper, and cut into bars the desired size.

Step 4

Brûlée the top:

• Once cut, evenly sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar over the bars.
• Use a blow torch to caramelise the sugar until golden and crisp.
• Alternatively you can use your oven grill: place the bars on a baking sheet without the baking paper underneath, and place under the grill. Keep a very close eye as the sugar will caramelise quickly. (It’s better to do it multiple times for a shorter time than once for too long as the bars will be ruined)
• For an extra hard crack, repeat the brûlée process with another layer of sugar.
• Let the sugar set for a few minutes before serving.