In American baking, bars are informal pastries baked in a pan and cut into small portions when cooled. Their texture is softer than a cookie, and they usually have a single layer (like a brownie) or two layers, with a cream filling covering the base, which often makes them resemble small cakes, although American cookbooks classify them as cookies.
I called them lemon squares because I wasn’t quite sure how to translate the English name, and this seemed fitting given their shape.
The most obvious translation of “bar” is “barra” (bar), but in English it’s also used to describe rectangular portions of something (for example, a chocolate bar or a chocolate bar is a bar of chocolate), which is exactly the meaning we’re looking for.
The problem is, I don’t know of a Spanish term with the same meaning. And the translation “barra” didn’t really seem like a good fit. If anyone has a more suitable name, I’m open to suggestions.
The recipe quantities are for a 20‑centimeter square baking pan. When cut, it yields 16 portions of approximately 5 centimeters on each side.
Lemon Squares Recipe
MAIN INGREDIENTS
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Wheat flour (for the base) | 300 g |
| White sugar (for the base) | 100 g |
| Softened butter | 200 g |
| Eggs (for the cream) | 3 |
| White sugar (for the cream) | 350 g |
| Lemon juice | 150 ml |
| Cornstarch | 40 g |
| Icing sugar (for dusting) | as needed |
Recipe preparation
- The first thing we’re going to prepare is the base for the squares. To do this, mix 300g of wheat flour with 100g of white sugar and 200g of softened butter in a large bowl.
- We mix everything well with our hands in the bowl. When the dough starts to stick to our fingers, we turn it out onto a wooden board or a lightly floured countertop.
- We knead with our hands until we obtain a homogeneous dough.
- Once the dough is ready, grease the bottom of a rectangular baking pan and place it in the pan. You can use a rolling pin to help with this, as it needs to be a thin layer.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC and prepare the cream.
- First, whisk three eggs in a large bowl and add 350g of white sugar. Then add 150ml of lemon juice and 40g of cornstarch. Mix everything very well using a whisk, either by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Once the cream is ready, carefully pour it over the pastry. Place the pan on the oven rack and bake at 180ºC for 40‑45 minutes.
- Once the baking time is up, let it cool. Once cooled, unmold and cut into square portions.
- We placed them on a platter and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. Ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrient | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 210 kcal | 11% |
| Total Fat | 10 g | 13% |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 55 mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 80 mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 28 g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g | 4% |
| Total Sugars | 18 g | |
| Protein | 3 g | 6% |
| Calcium | 20 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 4% |
Disclaimer: Nutrition estimates are for general guidance only, based on a 2,000‑calorie diet. Actual values vary with gluten‑free flour blend, butter amount, and lemon juice concentration.