Lemon Bars

These are our favorite Lemon Bars ever! They are Susan Branch's from her Sweets to the Sweet cookbook...

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter an 8" square pan. With an electric mixer, cream all ingredients till soft and smooth. (Or, in a food processor, till it forms a ball.) Press dough evenly into pan and bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the topping.

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 c. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
powdered sugar

With electric mixer, beat eggs well and gradually add sugar, until mixture is thick. Gradually add remaining ingredients, except powdered sugar. Continue beating till crust comes out of the oven. Pour lemon mixture over hot crust, return it to oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake 30-35 minutes till top is golden. Remove from oven and run a sharp knife around the edge. Cool 20 minutes; cut into squares, remove from pan and sift over powdered sugar. This recipe is easily doubled--use juice of 2 lemons, but zest from only 1. Second baking time should be increased 3-5 minutes.