Lemon Bars

We recently got new neighbors and to welcome them we decided to make them lemon bars (also I wanted to eat them myself, and blog about them).  So I made a double batch and realized I only put enough lemon juice for one recipe. My mom liked them a lot more though because she always thinks they are too lemony. The truth is that the recipe I use calls for fresh lemon juice, but we never have fresh lemons, and the bottled juice brings in too much flavor.  The recipe we use is by Cooks Illustrated (I love their recipes, but they are so complicated sometimes).

 Ingredients:

Crust:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups confectioners sugar -plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon zest from 2 lemons (optional)
2/3 cup juice from 3 to 4 large lemons (if not using fresh lemon juice, reduce the amount of juice used)
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9 x13 pan with butter.  Pulse flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Add butter and process for 8 to 10 second in short bursts, till it resembles coarse meal.  Press the dough firmly into the pan.  Refidgerate for 15 to 30 minutes and bake until golden brown about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl then stir in zest, juice, milk and salt.  Blend well.

Reduce the oven temp to 325. Stir filling to reblend; pour into warm crust.  Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Let cool or put in freezer or refridgerator.

Unfortunately for the neighbors (and fortunately for us) I found a piece of plastic in mine and my mom wouldn't let me give lemon bars with plastic in them away.