I'd like to use this platform to give everyone I know a heads up that, from now right up until forever, if you invite me over and ask me to bring a plate, this is what you'll get in front of you.
A ridiculously simple recipe for lemon bars went viral on Reddit a while ago and, after spotting a recent article about it, I thought I'd have a go at them. Because one of the true signs of the incoming downfall of western civilisation is how long it takes people to give you a recipe on their website (seriously, I don't need to read about your fond memories of your holiday in Sicily, just give me the damn pasta recipe), I'll get right onto this, then bore you with some extra paragraphs later.
Here's all you need to know about making these lemon bars:
That's it up there. Nothing else to it. If you want to stop reading now and start squeezing lemon juice, that's a good decision.
In fact, I don't know why either of us are still here. Well, I know why I am. I get paid to do this and I'm sitting here with a cup of tea and a lemon bar. What's your excuse?
Anyway, I made these late last night after finishing work and remembering I had to bake something to take to my daughter's school Christmas party today.
From start to finish, these took about 45 minutes to make and, somehow, not even I could screw them up, which proves that there truly is hope for everyone.
These are the epitome of simplicity in baking: the base is a good old fashioned crust made of just butter, flour and icing sugar. The filling is just eggs, lemon juice, sugar, flour and salt. That's it. No exotic ingredients, no crazy processes to follow. Mix it all, throw it in a pan and bake.
I went for the full seven tablespoons of lemon juice and even threw in some lemon zest, which has the added advantage of making them slightly less attractive to my small sugar-loving child, and more attractive to me.
If you are feeling adventurous, this recipe, which has now reached cult status on Reddit because of its simplicity, even has its own sub-Reddit, where users share their own takes of it, including vegan and gluten-free versions, so throw in some strawberries or orange zest or whatever. Go mental, you can't go wrong with it.
Pair with a cup of tea before midday and a gin & tonic anytime after that, put a Christmas movie on (but not this one) and get your feet up while you eat one or three of these. You've been through a lot this year, friend. Treat yourself.