Pan Size: I used a 36 x 26cm Oven Pan

Ingredients for the short bread crust:

250g Butter at room temperature

500g Cake Flour, sifted.

250g Icing Sugar, sifted.

I suggest you measure out your ingredients for easy mixing while the crust bakes and cools down before you add the lemon curd for further baking.

Ingredients for the lemon curd:

1 Cup cold pressed/freshly squeezed lemon juice. (If you cold pressed it, wash and peel it as the bitterness from the white part will affect the taste). My lemon tree gives me medium sized lemons so I used 4 lemons. Remove the seeds.

2 Tablespoons lemon zest. Zest about 1 1/2 lemon before peeling and you will be sorted.

6 large eggs at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon lemon essence

500g Cups white sugar

250g Cake Flour, sifted.

Icing sugar for dusting (I used about 1 1/2 tablespoon)

Method for the Short Bread Crust:

1. Pre-heat oven roasted 175° and place your oven rack in the middle. Mine is always in the middle.

2. Spray your pan lightly. Cut out parchment paper and place it in your pan with the sides overlapping a bit for easy lifting. Spray the paper after placing it in the pan.

3. I used a hand mixer and mixed the butter alone for a few seconds as it was one brick, then I added the sugar and then the flour after about 10 seconds. I mixed just until everything was just about incorporated. I then used my hands to form a soft dough – about 3 minutes.

4. Press the dough into your pan with your hands. Smooth over with the back of a stainless steel spoon or spatula.

5. Bake in the oven 13 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. If you like a deeper brown colour, bake for a another 3 minutes watching the oven carefully!

6. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Don’t switch the oven off.

Method for the lemon curd:

7. Wash the hand mixer and use it again.

8. Mix the lemon zest and juice together.

9. Add the eggs, essence, sugar and the flour.

10. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated.

11. Pour into the crust and put in the oven.

12. Bake for 23-27 minutes. The top should be set and the centre should wobble just a little bit.

13. Take it out of the oven let it cool off completely.

14. Place it in the fridge, covered for 1 hour 30 minutes.

15. Take it out of the fridge. Lift it out of the pan with the edges of the parchment paper.

16. Cut it up to your desired sizes.

17. Put your dusting icing sugar in a small sieve and sieve over the bars before serving.