Lovely Little Vanilla Lemon Bars

These little Vanilla Lemon Bars are not your go-to typical lemon bars. They are more like a snack cake. Two things I love…lemon…and vanilla!  They are moist and sweet with a thin layer of glaze over the top.  Just delicious and very simple to make. That yellow color is screaming sunshine and spring flowers. The perfect little sweet treat for a spring afternoon.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons VanillaPura Madagascar/vodka vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2–3 lemons)
• zest of one lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zest of one lemon (optional)
• 1 tsp of VanillaPura extract
• 1 Tbsp of heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, and mix until incorporated.
3. Add vanilla bean paste, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix.
4. Add salt and flour and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter evenly into the pan, and bake for 28-30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, and then pour glaze over the top and spread it evenly to the edges. Cool completely and then cut into bars. A plastic knife works very well! Store in an airtight container.

FOR THE GLAZE

1. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream into a bowl and whisk together with a fork. Add water as needed to thin the glaze. It should be pourable. Pour and spread the glaze over the slightly cooled bars.

Thanks for sharing Julie @ lovely little kitchen