My pregnant friend was craving lemon bars so we went to the store and purchased some. Now I am obsessed with lemon bars and have made four batches in the past two day.

The winning lemon bars are from Cooks Illustrated. They make a separate lemon curd that tops a pre-baked shortbread crust. The recipe is not difficult but there are a LOT of eggs and it does require a few additional steps. This is the recipe to choose for a sublimely luscious treat.

The easier method still involves pre-baking the crust but a more simple filling of whisked eggs, sugar, and lemon bake on top. Several recipes call for adding milk, cream cheese, butter, and flour but I wanted to keep it simple.

The best user friendly version is from Baking Bites. The crust is flaky, crispy and sweet with tiny shards of zest scattered throughout. The filling, with only four ingredients, is bright and lemony with the fullest punch of citrus flavor. A hefty dusting of powdered sugar ensures the bars have the perfect combination of tart and sweet.

I’d like to give an honorable mention to the lemon bars at Baking Obsession. If you have ever made lemon bars you may have encountered edges that are either stuck to the pan or unappealing to serve. Her ingenious idea to bake them in an oblong tart pan ensures none of the edges of the bars are wasted.

After making four batches of lemon bars in two days our kitchen was overfilled with lemon bars. Also, my craving has gone away. My boyfriend is expediting them as quickly as possible and brought a few to his hairdresser who is 8 months pregnant. She devoured the entire bag, on the spot. Pregnant chicks love lemon bars… who knew?

Lemon Bars
Recipe from Baking Illustrated

Crust
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 oz) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened & cut into 1-inch pieces

Filling
7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 7/8 oz) sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon zest
pinch salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream

To make the crust: Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the bars out after they’ve baked. Spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray.

Add the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and process to blend, about 8-10 seconds. Pulse just a few more times, until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal. Dump the mixture into the prepared baking pan and use the tips of your fingers to press it into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes.

While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the crust bakes, make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and eggs together until combined. Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the sugar to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Finally, add the lemon juice and salt and whisk until all ingredients are blended.

Transfer the filling to a medium saucepan and add the butter. Stirring continuously, cook over medium-low heat until the curd thickens slightly and registers 170 F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour the curd through a strainer into a medium heatproof bowl. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Pour the filling over the warm crust (this is important - you don’t want to let the crust cool before adding the filling).

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the filling is shiny and the center jiggles just slightly when shaken. Remove the pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.