As a pastry chef, I’m often asked to name my favorite ingredient, and without hesitation, I always answer “lemons.” Their sunny acidity is a brilliant foil in anything sweet, particularly in lemon bars. These simple concoctions of tangy lemon curd and tender shortbread crust are the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and I love their jewel-like shine.

Over the years, I’ve come up with a few secret ingredients that really make lemon bars sing. In the lemon curd, I use concentrated chamomile tea, which adds a floral note that really rounds out the lemon. Cornmeal gives the crust an ever-so-slightly crunchy texture to balance out the softness of the lemon curd. Finally, I finish the bars with a little sea salt, which makes all the flavors pop. These bars are a lemon lover’s dream, delicious any time of day.

Need to Know

• The finer the cornmeal, the tenderer the crust.Not all brands of cornmeal are ground the same. Bob’s Red Mill medium grind will yield a coarser, grittier texture (which I happen to like), while a crust made with a finely ground meal like Indian Head will be a little more refined.
• Bake the crust just until golden.It will become tough if overbaked, but underbaking can cause an unpleasant mushy layer where the curd soaks in.
• Pour the curd close to the crust.The curd is quite thin before baking, so holding the vessel you’re pouring from an inch or two over the crust will save you from messy splashing.
• 切成锅中的杆，并用蛋糕服务器或偏移刮刀将其取出。Unless you have abaking pan with a removable bottom, you won’t be able to turn out the whole thing as you would a cake.
• Use an excellent sea salt.Maldon, with its large pyramid-shaped flakes, is a favorite finishing salt, but I also like the crunchy crystals of Halen Môn, or soft, delicate La Baleine French gray sea salt.
• Finish with the salt and confectioners’ sugar just before serving.Otherwise they’ll dissolve into the curd.
• Play with the flavor.您可能与柠檬一起使用的任何茶都可以代替洋甘菊。在将凝乳倒在上面之前，您也可以将约1-1/2杯切碎的螺母撒在地壳上。我特别喜欢不需要切碎的松果。