Not too long ago I did a post about these Gooey Lemon Blondies that had become my go-to lemon fix.  While I still adore them, I had a friend request something with even more of a lemon punch.  So the search began, along with the baking and tasting (such a tough job).  While most recipes I found called for 1/2 cup – 2/3 cup lemon juice, this one calls for an entire cup – perfection!  I tweaked the recipe ever so slightly by using 1/2 cup less sugar in the lemon layer and adding a lemon glaze on top.  It doesn’t get much more lemony than this folks, prepare to pucker up!

 

Recipe (adapted very slightly) from Smitten Kitchen:

crust:
8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

lemon layer:
6 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I used 2 cups)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

glaze:
juice of 2 medium lemons 
3/4-1 cup powdered sugar, or enough to make a thin consistency

 

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet.  (I had a casserole dish which worked as well, I just increased the baking time a bit as my dish was slightly smaller than 9 x 13)

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (less if you are using the thinner topping), or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

At this point, I added the glaze and chilled until set.