Favourite Lemon Love Notes

These are the sweet little bar cookie classic sometimes called lemon squares or lemon bars, dressed up here with the playful name “love notes." A buttery shortbread crust gets pressed into a square pan and pre-baked until just set, creating a sturdy foundation. The filling is pure lemon-and-egg magic. Two whole eggs, a cup of sugar, fresh lemon juice, and a teaspoon of lemon zest get whisked together with a touch of flour and baking powder, then poured straight onto the hot crust. As they bake, the eggs and lemon set into a tart, custardy layer that lands somewhere between lemon curd and cake. A generous shower of powdered sugar over the cooled bars gives them their snowy “love note” appearance and adds a final dusting of sweetness to balance the tart filling. Cut into small squares for easy passing at parties or tucking into lunchboxes.

Pro Tips

• Use real butter, not margarine, for the crust. Margarine produces a soft, oily crust that gets soggy under the wet filling.
• Pour the filling onto the crust while the crust is still hot from the oven. The hot crust seals quickly and stops the liquid filling from soaking through.
• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly grated zest. Bottled juice tastes one-dimensional and pre-grated zest goes stale fast.
• Wait until the bars are completely cool before dusting with powdered sugar. Hot bars melt the sugar into a wet glaze instead of a snowy coat.

Variations

• Use lime juice and zest in place of lemon for a tropical twist on the classic.
• Add 2 tablespoons of toasted shredded coconut to the crust for chewier texture.
• Drizzle with a thin lemon glaze instead of dusting with powdered sugar for a glossy finish that holds up at room temperature.