Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars

Sweet and tart and crafted from scratch these Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars are a lemon lover’s dream. This refreshing treat features a thick, tangy curd bursting with fresh blueberries piled atop a buttery shortbread cookie crust. It’s simple, delicious and the showstopper dessert for your next party.

If instigating was a superpower my sister would be wearing a cape, living in a lair and plotting to piss people off on a daily basis. Instead, she does her evil plotting from the comfort of her home.

The cape and lair are aspirational.

The girl has a sixth sense for knowing what gets on a person’s nerves then poking those nerves with the verbal equivalent of a barbed wire wrapped stick. You’ll just have to take my word that it’s as unpleasant as it sounds.

Strong suit or character flaw, whatever you call it, my sister loves stirring the proverbial pot. Compared to her, I’m the polar opposite. I like to keep my pot stirring contained to the kitchen, but the cruel reality is that I have yet to master this most basic of cooking tasks.

Consequently, I shouldn’t ever use a stove without supervision.

Today my pot of spaghetti was at a full boil when I decided to give it a quick stir. With a wooden spoon in my hand I did a quarter rotation before realizing my thumb was submerged in scalding water.

Herein lies the paradox of my life: I can handmake pasta like my Italian grandmother taught me but I cannot boil it without requiring 1200 milligrams of ibuprofen and a roll of medical gauze.

With my skin as bubbly as 212 degree water, it put the kibosh on any plans to make thumbprint cookies. In the meantime, I considered my options. Going on a crime spree sounded tempting. Now that one of my fingerprints was nonexistent it reduced my chances of getting caught. On the other hand, I could remain a law abiding citizen and make a dessert that didn’t require repeatedly shoving my singed thumb into dough.

I flipped a coin. George Washington’s head told me to stay home and bake so I’m benching my felonious notions and making something so easy it should be illegal: blueberry lemon shortbread bars.

If you have 2 bowls and 10 minutes that’s all you need to prep the best lemon shortbread you ever tasted. We start with a soft shortbread cookie crust that’s layered with a luscious lemon curd then finished with fresh, juicy blueberries that bust with every bite. What’s more, this classic summer dessert pairs well with parties and picnics. In fact, it even pairs well with my sister and that rarity makes this recipe a keeper.

Before sharing the Lemon Shortbread recipe, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

Fresh blueberries take lemon bars from plain to perfection. Frozen blueberries can be substituted in a pinch but consider yourself warned that they won’t be as plump and juicy as fresh berries.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must for lemon curd. Juicing a lemon is minimal effort and adds so much more flavor than pre-squeezed juice.

The 2 teaspoons of lemon zest called for in the lemon curd equals approximately one Meyer lemon.

Eggs needs to be at room temperature before making lemon curd. If you’ve forgotten to take eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time, you can speed up the process by placing uncracked eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Don’t use hot water; we want to warm the eggs, not hatch them.

Remove butter from the refrigerator and let it set at room temperature for an hour before starting. Resist the temptation to soften butter in the microwave because it’ll get melty and ruin the shortbread’s consistency.

Use unbleached all-purpose flour for everything you bake. By all means use bleach in your laundry, just not your lemon shortbread bars.

Preparation Tips and Tricks

Sift flour before adding to the lemon curd mixture then whisk like crazy to avoid clumps.

I dropped blueberries on the lemon filling one by one so they would look photogenic for the blog pictures. You can speed up the process by sprinkling a few at a time or plonking by the handful.

Bake lemon shortbread bars in a glass pan. A ceramic pan may work in a pinch but do not use metal.

If your oven runs hot, test your lemon blueberry bars for doneness a few minutes earlier than the suggested baking time to avoid overcooking.

Serve shortbread bars chilled. Enjoy them plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar.

How to Store Lemon Shortbread

Cover and store lemon shortbread in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can you freeze shortbread? Yes! Simply place lemon shortbread in an airtight container then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

I hope you enjoy these Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars! Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog post when you try them for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like shortcake as much as you like shortbread check out this recipe for Honeyed Bourbon Peach Shortcake. It features sweet, bourbon-soaked peaches piled on a buttery shortcake biscuit then topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. It’s a delicious Southern summertime classic that comes together with just a few simple ingredients.

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Bars

Heather Wolf

Sweet and tart and crafted from scratch, Lemon Shortbread Bars are a lemon lover’s dream. This refreshing treat features a thick, tangy curd bursting with fresh blueberries piled atop a buttery shortbread cookie crust. It’s simple, delicious and the showstopper dessert for your next party.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Chill 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Cookies and Bars

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Shortbread crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar packed
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pats room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla pure
• 1 pinch sea salt fine

Lemon curd filling

• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 2 tsp lemon zest freshly zested
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

 

Shortbread crust

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line an 8 x 8 glass pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of paper for ease of removal. Set aside.
• Pulse crust ingredients in a food processor until a soft dough forms.
• Press shortbread dough into the bottom of glass pan using your fingers until packed evenly.
• Bake crust for 12 minutes then remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you prepare lemon curd.

Lemon curd

• Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in a bowl until combined.
• Add sifted flour to wet ingredients then whisk until combined and smooth.
• Pour lemon filling over warm, shortbread crust.
• Sprinkle blueberries on top of filling. 
• Bake shortbread for 25 to 30 minutes until filling is just set and slightly jiggly. Filling will continue to set as it cools. Avoid overbaking.
• Cool shortbread at room temperature for 1 hour then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before slicing and serving.
• Serve plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Cover and store shortbread in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Keyword bars, blueberry, lemon, shortbread