Caramel Lemon Cookie Bars Recipe by Taylor Mathis and Sally James (2024)

Caramel Lemon Cookie Bars Recipe by Taylor Mathis and Sally James (1)

Taylor Mathis and Sally James

Sally James and Taylor Mathis are a mother and son…

Bar cookies ease of transportation make them great for bringing to a tailgate or outdoor party. The rich caramel icing and soft lemon sugar cookie will appeal to guests of all ages at your next party.
By Taylor Mathis and Sally James

To make the caramel icing, you will need a candy thermometer and 2 large heavy bottomed pots. Make the cookie base first. While the cookie is cooling, make the caramel icing. You can eat them as soon as they are iced, or let the icing cool completely before covering with foil and transporting to your event.

Print

Caramel Lemon Cookie Bars Recipe by Taylor Mathis and Sally James (3)

Caramel Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

4 from 1 review

  • Author: Taylor Mathis and Sally James
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Bar cookies ease of transportation make them great for bringing to a tailgate or outdoor party. The rich caramel icing and soft lemon sugar cookie will appeal to guests of all ages at your next party.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Base

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter,softened
  • 2½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Frosting

  • 2½ cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream

Instructions

Base

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter into the work bowl of a stand mixer. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat the butter sugar mixture until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Mix until blended.
  2. In a separate bowl add the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir or whisk until well blended.
  3. Add the flour mixture to the batter. Add the lemon juice and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until blended. Remove work bowl from mixer. Cookie batter will be sticky.
  4. Using a spatula, spoon the cookie dough onto the buttered jelly roll pan. Dip your fingers into the extra flour and gently pat the dough so that it evenly covers the jelly roll pan. Bake 25 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean from the center of the pan. Remove cookie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature in the pan.

Frosting

  1. In a large, heavy-bottomed, high-sided pan (a dutch oven works well), melt the butter, 1½ cups sugar and heavy cream over medium heat. When the butter is melted and the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat to low. Add the salt and stir. Set aside on low.
  2. Put another high-sided, large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan on a burner. Turn the heat to medium high. When the pan is warmed, add 1 cup of granulated sugar. Shake the pan frequently. When the sugar shows signs of melting at the edges of the pan, reduce the heat to medium. Continue to shake the pan across the burner constantly until the sugar is melted and has turned a rich copper color. Remove the caramelized sugar from the burner and CAREFULLY pour into the pan of melted butter, sugar and cream mixture.
  3. Stir the caramelized sugar into the cream mixture. The caramel may tighten and clump and this is OK. The caramel will melt into the cream with continued stirring and cooking. Using a candy thermometer, cook the caramel mixture until it just reaches the soft ball stage (235 degrees) over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove the caramel from the heat and cool slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Add the vanilla to the caramel and stir to incorporate. Add one cup of sifted confectioners sugar and stir until blended. Add another cup of the sifted sugar and stir. Add the sour cream and stir until blended. Add the final cup of sifted sugar and stir until blended. Working quickly, ice the sheet of lemon sugar cookies. Let icing cool. Slice cookies and serve.
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Category: Dessert

Caramel Lemon Cookie Bars Recipe by Taylor Mathis and Sally James (4)

Taylor Mathis and Sally James

Sally James and Taylor Mathis are a mother and son duo from Charlotte, NC. Sally, a professional recipe developer, and Taylor, a professional Food and Lifestyle photographer, work together to create beautiful and delicious recipes designed to be eaten anywhere! Together they are the creators and authors of the food Blog Taylor Takes A Taste and worked together on The Southern Tailgating Cookbook.

1 Comment

Share

Tweet

Pin

Share

Caramel Lemon Cookie Bars Recipe by Taylor Mathis and Sally James (2024)

FAQs

How do you cool bar cookies? ›

Bar cookies should be cooled in their baking pan on a cooling rack. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars in the pan into rectangles, squares, diamonds or other shapes. The following guidelines for the number and size of the bars a recipe will make are approximate. Using a thin, narrow metal spatula, remove bars from pan.

Where did lemon bars come from? ›

Origin and history

The first widely published lemon bar recipe was printed in the Chicago Daily Tribune on August 27, 1962, and submitted by Eleanor Mickelson. However, mentions of lemon bars and lemon squares can be found in earlier community cookbooks or small local newspapers.

How do you keep cookie bars from drying out? ›

To protect flavor and prevent the cookies from drying out, wrap tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap, or pack in freezer bags or plastic freezer containers with tight-fitting lids. Separate bars with waxed paper between the layers. Remove as much air as possible and seal tightly.

How long to let cookies cool to harden? ›

So, let your cookies cool just until they hold their shape (generally after about 5 minutes on a cookie cooling rack) and savor them warm while you can. So next time you're wondering, "Do I need a cooling rack to cool cookies" the short answer is—it's better to have one than not.

Should I refrigerate my lemon bars? ›

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).

Why are my lemon bars Brown? ›

Why are my lemon bars brown on top? Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer periodically to make sure the settings are correct. If you find that your desserts brown too quickly on the top, bake on a lower rack in your oven to prevent this from happening.

Why are lemon bars so good? ›

The result is a pretty perfect lemon bar — especially given how easy it is. The crust is thick and delightfully buttery; the filling is smooth and rich and packed with lemon flavor. They're very sweet — you could likely get away with adding less sugar — but I find the sweetness contributes to their nostalgia.

What is the proper way to cool cookies after baking? ›

Using a plastic pancake turner may result in torn or broken cookies. Cool in single layer on wire cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating or storing. You may want to post a trustworthy guard at the cookie rack to avoid the common practice of freshly baked cookie thievery.

How long to cool bar cookies before cutting? ›

Place baking pan on a wire cooling rack and let the bars cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes (preferably longer, they hold up better as they cool). Use the parchment paper to lift the cookie bars out of the pan, then cut into squares and serve.

Do you cool cookies on pan or rack? ›

Your cookies, pastries, and other baked goods will also cool down faster as the wire rack has better air circulation. You can even place a baking sheet on the cooling rack for the same purpose. Faster cooling also means you can decorate those treats sooner.

How do you know when bar cookies are done? ›

For cake-like bars, test with a wooden pick inserted at the center of the pan. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the cookies are done. Chewy (moister) bars will have a dull, rather than shiny, surface; a slight imprint will remain after touching the surface lightly with your fingertip.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Patricia Veum II

Last Updated:

Views: 6558

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Patricia Veum II

Birthday: 1994-12-16

Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862

Phone: +6873952696715

Job: Principal Officer

Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.