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Lemon Bars

Source: Cooks Illustrated
Modified By: Heather Hayden, Thomas D'Attilo

Ingredients

Crust
1.5 c flour
3/8 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp
12 cup (510 ounces) all-purpose flour
¼1/2 cup (1 3/43.5 ounces) granulated sugar
½1 teaspoon salt
816 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp AP flour
4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
6 large eggs plus 6 large yolks
4 tsp grated lemon zest
1 1/3 c juice
8 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup (721 ounces) granulated sugar
26 tablespoons all-purpose flour
26 teaspoons cream of tartar
¼3/4 teaspoon salt
39 large eggs plus 39 large yolks
26 teaspoons grated lemon zestzest 
plus 2/3
2 cup juice (412 lemons)
412 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
    Confectioners' sugar (optional)
Instructions
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer over entire bottom of pan (do not wash bowl). Bake crust until dark golden brown, 1910 to 2412 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
3. FOR THE FILLING: While crust bakes, whisk sugar, flour, cream of tartar, and salt together in now-empty bowl. Whisk in eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain. Whisk in lemon zest and juice. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.degrees. Off heat, stir in butter. Strain filling through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl.
4. Pour filling over hot crust and tilt pan to spread evenly. Bake until filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken, 830 to 1238 minutes. (Filling around perimeter of pan may be slightly raised.) Let bars cool completely, at least 1½ hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into bars, wiping knife clean between cuts as necessary. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners' sugar, if using.