When life gives you lemons, make lemon squares.

This tasty dessert recipe has been in my family for a long time and is a staple at our dinners. It’s so good that I always request it instead of cake on my birthday. In a world full of chocolate and vanilla flavoured desserts, a lemon-based treat is a refreshing change.

It’s relatively inexpensive to make and the perfect size to bring as a dessert to a potluck dinner. Be warned though: if you bake it for a lemon fanatic like myself, you may never be allowed to make a different dessert!

Ingredients

Base:
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar

Topping:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp lemon juice

Base:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine flour, butter and sugar and mix well. It should look light and flaky.
3. Grease and flour an 8×8 baking pan and press mixture into the pan.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Let it cool before adding the topping.

Topping:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grate the rind of a lemon using a cheese grater. For a stronger lemon flavour, add an extra teaspoon of lemon rind.
3. Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, lemon rind and lemon juice. Mix it well in a bowl.
4. Spread mixture over the base and bake for 20-25 minutes or until nearly set.
5. Let it cool in the pan and dust it with icing sugar.