Creamy Lemon Bars

One of the perks of our Arizona winter (aside from our serious lack of snow and ice) is citrus season. Our house came with about 10 mature citrus trees when we moved in. We've cut a few of them down since then, but we still have more oranges and grapefruit and lemons than we can eat. I'm always on the lookout for lemony dessert recipes to use up some of our fresh lemon juice. When I saw this one for Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it. I waited patiently all week for Sunday to come so I could give it a go.

If you like lemon bars, then you would love these. They are crunchy and buttery and puckery, and super creamy, too. But mostly they just felt like a bright spot of sunshine in this long, winter month (which is saying something, because Arizona does not lack for sunshine ever, not even in the depths of winter).

Some notes: They take some time to prepare, so don't make them when you are feeling rushed. Also, they are worth every second you spend zesting your lemons or standing at the stove stirring that delicious cream filling. Make sure you have at least 4 lemons on hand to juice, and I think the next time I make them, I'll use a larger pan. The recipe calls for an 8x8, but I feel like they could have been spread just a little thinner. Oh man, we loved them.