Meyer lemon bars are the perfect springtime treat: with a tart and sweet Meyer lemon custard baked on top of a layer of buttery shortbread.

These sunny Meyer lemon bars are as delicious as they are easy, with a layer of tender shortbread topped with an easy, shortcut lemon curd: no stovetop required! Dust with a generous flurry of powdered sugar for the perfect springtime treat!

There seem to be two kinds of lemon bar recipes floating around the internets.

Both have shortbread bases, but one has a thicker layer of what is essentially egg yolk-heavy lemon curd, usually cooked on a stovetop and then poured on top of the fully baked shortbread.

The second features a thinner layer of lemon custard that’s simply mixed together and poured on top of the semi-baked shortbread, then finished off in the oven together.

As pretty as that ultra thick layer of lemon curd is, that kind of recipe uses upwards of 8 or 9 eggs for a small 8-inch pan. And with the grocery situation as it stands now, I just couldn’t bare to sacrifice so many eggs, even for a cause as delicious as lemon bars. Thus my decision to go with the later style.

This recipe only uses 3 eggs (actually 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk – save that leftover egg white for a cocktail or something), and when you’ve only got 15 odd eggs left, 3 is a much more reasonable amount.

Granted, you don’t end up with the perfectly defined, perfectly smooth-topped, rich yolky yellow layer of lemon curd. Instead, the curd and the shortbread sort of melt together in the oven, and the top takes on a bit of a crispy, bubbly appearance, which I actually find quite delightful (the crispiness will soften as the bars sit, so it’s more aesthetic than anything). And besides, with a hearty sprinkle of powdered sugar you can’t really see it anyway.

But honestly, I feel like the ratio of lemon to shortbread is better with this simpler method, with the buttery shortbread balancing out the tart sweetness of the lemon, so it’s a win-win-win in my mind (those wins being fewer eggs, easier process, and better proportions in the final product).

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