Lemon Meringue Pie Bars

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour and powdered sugar for the crust. Cut in butter (I use my hands; you could also use a fork or a food processor) until the mixture forms a dough. Pat it into a 9×13 pan. It will be very thin; that is fine.
• Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, until puffed and golden around the edges.
• Prepare filling: in the bowl of your mixer, beat eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest on medium speed for about a minute and a half. Pour over the crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is set and no longer runny on top. Remove from oven, let cool, and chill bars until cold and firm.
• In a metal mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk together egg whites and sugar for meringue. Whisk until the sugar seems to have melted and the mixture forms a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove it from the stove and set the bowl on your mixer. Beat on high with the whisk attachment until it forms stiff peaks.
• Cut the bars into squares. Pipe or spoon meringue on bars and brown each with a small kitchen torch. Alternately, you could spoon meringue over the entire pan of bars before cutting and browning under your broiler. I just find that the bars are cut neater before meringue is added, and I prefer the look.