Pecan Lemon Bars

I LOVE lemons!

I never used to, but over the last few years, I have become addicted to lemons — especially lemon desserts!

So when I was asked to bring a dessert for our Thanksgiving party this past week, I knew I wanted to do something with lemons. I even opted to for-go the tradition pumpkin and apple desserts for these delicious Pecan Lemon Bars.

They were a hit! {don’t worry, there were still plenty of other pumpkin and apple desserts to go around!}

Don’t they look delicious?

And the best part about these bars — they start out with a package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough!

Don’t you just love making desserts that look gourmet but start from a box or a bag? I do!

Ingredients:

{Print This Recipe}

• 1 {18 oz.} package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 c. chopped pecans — divided
• 1/3 c. light corn syrup
• Juice from 1 lemon — about 1/3 c.
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 egg
• 1 T. butter — melted
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 /3 c. flour
• confectioners’ sugar — optional

Use a micro-plane grater as a simple way to zest your lemon. Hold the grater on top of the lemon so the zest stays in the grater.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Press cookie dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9″x13″ pan. Press 1/2 c. pecans into the dough.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
• While crust bakes, combine corn syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg, and butter in a medium-sized bowl.
• Toss remaining 1/2 c. pecans with flour and sugar. Add to lemon mixture.
• Reduce oven temp. to 350F after you remove the crust.
• Pour lemon mixture over cookie crust.
• Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
• Cut into bars or triangles.

See, I told you they were simple!

If you’re holiday schedule looks like mine, then you probably have a bunch more parties and a lot more food to make. Right?

Make your holidays a little less stressful and whip up a double batch of these lemon bars, cut them, and put them in the freezer. Then on the day of your party, simply plop a few on your favorite serving platter, dust them with powdered sugar, and create the illusion of a day spent slaving away in your kitchen!!

Lemon Photo Credit: Suat Eman