Looking for a great dessert recipe? These lemon lime bars are so good, and easy to make! They’re perfect for your summer gathering.
I think I finally figured it out.
The whole baking thing.
Before—in the macaroni and cheese kitchen nothing I baked ever turned out.
My cookies would run off the baking stone or be solid as a rock and my cake would get done around the edges and be raw in the middle and my pies sometimes sunk like the top of a volcano.
Once at a party, my brownies were so hard that when I tried to cut them the whole brownie sheet flew across the room and landed on the floor.
But the answer to becoming a better baker was there all along staring me in the face.
All I had to do…..
…..was actually follow the directions.
Are you laughing?
*sigh*
Can you even believe it was so simple?
So when the recipe called for Cornflakes and I thought Wheaties would work out?
Or when I thought baking power was just as good as baking soda?
Or that chopped up pieces of Valentine’s candy were almost as good as semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Umm…..
….not so much.
Now I follow a recipe to the tee.
I try to never miss a step.
And it’s truly amazing…..
….the difference just a few directions can make. 🙂
Lemon Lime Bars
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, cut up
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Half and Half
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
1/3 cup lime juice
1 drop green food coloring
1. Â Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan and line with parchment paper, pressing the paper on to the bottom and up the sides of the pan (this is such a wonderful step and makes the bars so pretty)!
Set aside.
2. Make the crust
To make crust, in a large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt.
Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Â Press firmly into the bottom of prepared pan.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Â Whisk together eggs, sugar and flour
While the crust is baking, Â in a medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, half and half and 3 Tbsp. of flour.
Divide mixture evenly into two bowls.
4. Pour filling
To one bowl add lemon peel and lemon juice.
In the other bowl add lime peel, lime juice and drop of green food coloring.
Pour lemon filling over hot crust and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until it is set.
Next, carefully pour lime filling over lemon filling.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes more or until set.
Cool completely in a pan or on a wire rack.
Use paper to lift uncut bars out of pan. Â Cut into bars. Â Sift powdered sugar over bars.
Top with lemon and lime peel if desired.
Refrigerate to store.
These bars are amazing. Â They taste kind of like a key lime pie with the most delicious crust.
You take a bite and then you want to take another and another.
Perfect for a summer evening on the porch with a glass of sweet tea.
Following directions never tasted so good. 🙂
This is MY kinda dessert -- love lemon lime flavors. :) Who knew the directions could be so helpful?! ;-) xo Heidi Pinning and sharing!
These look so yummy! If I didn't have to give up sugar, I would be all over these! *sigh*
Look at you and all those ingredients! And, yes, it's amazing what happens when you follow directions! :) Looks yummy, so I'll be pinning and sharing! :) Linda
All I can say is YUM! I have learned that following directions is best....after not following the directions! Ha! Sheila
Well look at you!! More than 5 ingredients.....you go girl! LOL!! These look very tasty! I shall give it a try and be sure to follow the directions. Thanks!~~Angela
If only I weren't giving up sugar, too. They look divine, but I think part of that has to do with your great photography!
I almost always follow recipes...and this one looks so good! ;)
Looks so good. Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing. I will try these. Blessings, Audrey Z @ Timeless Treasures
I love lime...Mojitos, Key lime pie...now I'll add your yummy bars to my 'I love Lime List'!! Pinned to make this weekend!!
Pretty and yummy looking - turn on the coffee - I will be there in ten!
I think I am mad at you now. You can make it better by passing me one of these bars. You know I love lime. And, I promise I will love you forever. I will try to eat just one.
I've never been a huge dessert fan - but these look amazing. My mother makes them just as the lemon bars - but I'm definitely trying with the lime. Needed to make something yummy for prom dinner on Saturday - your timing couldn't be better! Thanks!!
These looks soooo good. I am planning on making them this weekend! Your photos are gorgeous.
You are such a hoot! Just the right touch of sunshine on a dark and gloomy day in Minnesota. Thanks for sharing your cooking experience and expertise. knowledge is a great thing and directions really do help the most, good luck in your baking future and the bars look awesome. I'm sure they taste just as good.
Karianne- YUM! I love anything and everything lemony/limey/citrusy! I have a question...is there a way to print out your recipes from the blog without also printing the intermittent pictures? Probably so....I'm just kinda 20 years or so behind on the whole computer savvy thing...kwim? Love ya! Lynn in FL
These sound WONDERFUL! I will be trying this! I'm glad you discovered the directions! ;) Being a cooking maverick is great, but only after you've actually discovered that there is a reason for all these silly chemical reactions called "cooking!" LOL
I just have to try these....my husband will go bonkers for this! Thanks for making me look great...that is if I follow the directions! :)
Holy moley girlfriend your foodie pics are exquisite! My mouth is big time watering. SO GLAD you are happy in the kitchen- and practice makes perfect. So perhaps make these again and send them to Ohio for me? Actually they are the perfect dessert for Cinco de Mayo foodstuffs. Hugs.
Yum, I made these bar cookies the other day, but with coconut in the crust and as a topping. So delicious! Your look great too. Bet they were yummy.
YUM!!
These look delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe too! ~Diane
What fabulous photos...I tasted tart just looking at the bars, lemons & limes. Nice job & I bet they taste so good! Kelly
mmmmmmmmmm....... Bliss
They look so good! I'm making them today.
Those look delicious, I'm going to have to make them soon!
I have everything but the limes, off to the store I go! I will not soon forget the visual of your rock-solid brownies flying across a room either, you are FABULOUS!! xo, Tanya
My husband will love these, I will save this and be trying them when get to our new home in 6 months!! Baking is science, you have to follow recipes to a tee. Cynthia
adore you karianne, you never fail to put a smile on my face!
I tried to leave a comment earlier, but my computer was giving me trouble. Hope this doesn't end up being a duplicate. These look so yummy K.A.! I remember learning in home-ec class that BAKING is chemistry -- and each ingredient is important for a specific reason (i.e. browning, rising, flavor, etc), so YES, you are right... it's important to follow directions to the letter. Once you get good at that, you learn where you can tweek things. For example, I started to make pumpkin muffins last night believing that I had enough pumpkin in the freezer. I didn't -- BUT I had already started mixing (of course). I only had 1/2 c. when I needed a full cup. I replaced the other 1/2 cup w/ applesauce, and they turned out perfectly! (p.s. TOTALLY pinning this recipe!) xo ~Sally
These look delightful! And you know it is the men that usually don't read manuals/directions LOL :)
Oh wow! I was drooling before I read all of the ingredients. They look and sound amazing. I must try this soon. If I had the lime I would right now. Thanks.... hummm, yeah thanks for making me starve ....lol Really now, thanks for sharing this recipe.
I'm sharing this blog on my FB timeline.... okay?
You had me at lemon lime....
What cookbook is this recipe from??? Just curious.
Yum..thanks for sharing..
You reminded me of a story that Christopher Kimball, of Cook's Magazine, told me. He said, one of his subscribers said to him that a recipe in the magazine hadn't turned out. When Christopher asked if he followed the directions, the man said, "well, I didn't have pork, so I used chicken...and I didn't have kale, so I used turnip greens...and," well, Christopher stopped him before he could go on and said, "if you don't have the ingredients, don't make the recipe!" Love the Lemon~Lime bars and will definitely make these up, XOXO
They look beautiful. I can almost taste the key lime from here :)
"MERCY ME, WOMAN...you done turned into a COOK"....I never would have believed it...:))) hahhaaa....I just pinned this and can't wait to make them. xo
Lol! I used to be the same way. I'd think, "oh, I bet they don't really mean that," whenever I read instructions or a recipe. I too have changed my ways. ;)
These look SO good. I love lemon/lime foods. Thanks for sharing! ~FringeGirl
Kari...I am so proud of you!...You have really been cooking and baking away....We love lemon bars and I need to make those great lemon/lime bars too!....thanks for the great recipe!...
I love lemon bars and I love lime bars. This recipe combines the best of both worlds! Your photographs make me want to reach in and grab one!
Mmmmm......... makes me want to plant citrus trees so I'd have both fruits available. I can imagine you cooking these yummy bars in your equally yummy kitchen. Blessings, Barbara
These look delicious and I don't even like lime! ha.
These bars look heavenly!!! So summery and fresh!!! What a beautiful recipe!
Lemon bars are my alltime favorite summer dessert! So I can only image how much I would LOVE these! I know exactly what you mean about directions. I'm pretty good about following them on new recipes but ask me for an old recipe that my family has used for years? Pinch of this...maybe a cup of that...give or take...just go by how it looks...you can tell if it needs more...etc. That's how I learned it! :) Definitely going to go by the recipe on these delicious looking lemon-lime bars. Wouldn't want to mess this up!
Hi, can someone let me know what "half and half" is please. Not something we have here.
Hi Katherine - half and half is a milk product that is half whole milk & half cream. You could make your own version using regular cream & whole milk if half & half is not available where you live!
I made these for Mother's Day...they were AMAZING!!!! Definitely a keeper!
YUMMO! :)
Those sound delicious and they look so beautiful too!
These look amazing Karianne! I love lemon bars - so I'm sure I'd love these! Thanks for sharing!
I think I gained a few more pounds just looking at these, but I am sure they will be well worth it when I make them. Soon, so very soon. Thank you for the inspiration.
These look simply AMAZING!!! YUM YUM YUM~!! I love anything lime or lemon...my mouth is watering just looking at them.
You are SUCH a HOOT!!! Yes, directions are an important element - especially with baking :-) I can just see you winging it in your kitchen - what an entertaining site!! You are adorable!! Hugs, Jennifer
So I made these yesterday! um yummy! posted about it too https://www.somewhatquirkydesign.com/2013/05/vintage-juicers-and-lemon-lime-bars.html Thanks for the inspiration. Your pictures rock!
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We had these at a Tea for 30 on Saturday. Everyone raved about them! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi I was wondering, what is half and half?