Luscious Lemon Bars

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

 a pretty party cookie

Ingredients
For the Lemon Pudding:

¾  cup sugar

1 ½  Tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½  Tablespoons flour

1  cup water

3  egg yolks

3/8  cup lemon juice

1/8  teaspoon salt

1  Tablespoon butter

1  teaspoon vanilla

For the Cookie:

¾   cup  butter, softened

¾   cup sugar

1  egg

2  teaspoons vanilla

2 ¼   cups flour                                                           

powdered sugar

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 375°.

2.  Make the pudding by whisking together the sugar, cornstarch and flour in a 2 quart saucepan.

3.  Whisk in the water, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt.

4.  Cook over a medium heat until it comes to a boil.

5.  Allow the pudding to boil for 2 minutes.

6.  Remove from heat and add in the butter and vanilla.

7.  Pour pudding into a bowl by pouring it through a cheesecloth lined sieve. 

8.  Cover the pudding with plastic wrap. 

9.  Gently press the plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding to keep a film from forming.

10.  Set aside.

11.  In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

12.  With the mixer, mix in 1 ¼  cups of the flour.  Mix in the remaining cup of flour with a wooden spoon, the dough will be a soft dough. 

13.  Divide the dough in half.

14.  With your hands, shape each half of the dough into a log that is about 14 inches long and about 1 ½  inches wide; using a little bit of flour on the work surface if necessary.  

15.  Place the logs onto a greased cookie sheet.
16.  Using the handle of a wooden spoon or your fingertips, make a depression down the center of each log that is about 1 inch wide.
17.  Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

18.  Carefully loosen the bottoms with a spatula and then let the cookie logs cool for 20 minutes.               

19.  After the logs have cooled, divide the pudding among the two logs.

20.  Mound the pudding down the center of each log.

21.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

22.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

23.  Completely cool before slicing into 1 inch diagonal slices.