What makes pink lemonade pink? Pink lemons? Some other fruit? Magic? The big answer is (drumroll please)... Food coloring. So why use pink lemonade mix in lemon bars? In addition to giving them a pleasing color, lemonade mix contains two things that add an extra zing to your lemon bars: lemon flavor and citric acid – it’s like a cheat code to amp up the flavor in your lemon bars. Note: If you don’t feel like going the extra mile with the meringue, just give the bars a dusting of powdered sugar on top!

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originally published on milkbarstore.com

You will need:

1 recipe Shortbread Crust

1 recipe Pink Lemonade Filling

1 recipe Italian Meringue Topping

Yields:

9 bars, baked in an 8” x 8” pan (double the recipe if using a 9” x 13”)

Download Recipe PDF

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Lemons → Lemonade

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
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Method:
- Preheat the oven to 325 f.
- In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
- Add melted butter and vanilla extract, mix and mash with a spatula at first, when that becomes too difficult use your hands.
- Mixture should hold together when squeezed, but crumble easily, it should not appear “wet.”
- Press the crumb into an even layer along the bottom of a parchment paper lined 8 x 8 pan (use a little non-stick spray if you don’t have parchment!)
- Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the crust have just begun to brown.
Ingredients:
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
2 heaping Tbsp pink lemonade mix
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 eggs 2 yolks (whites reserved)
½ cup fresh lemon juice
pinch salt
pink food coloring (optional)

Method:
- In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, pink lemonade mix, and salt.
- Add eggs and whisk until no lumps remain.
- Add lemon juice and food coloring (if using), and whisk until fully combined.
- Pour filling over the par-baked crust (it’s ok if the crust is still warm), and bake for 20-25 minutes at 325. You’ll know it's done when the filling looks set at the edges, but the center still baaaaaarely jiggles when shaken.
- Cool to at least room temperature before topping with meringue, or ideally top after bars have been well chilled in the fridge. Or, if forgoing the meringue altogether, dust the top of the bars with powdered sugar before slicing.
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
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Method:
- This recipe requires some multi-tasking, so make sure you have measured all ingredients out ahead of time!
- Add egg whites to a clean mixing bowl, and using a stand mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. This happens fairly quickly (about 2 minutes). Take care not to overbeat the eggs at this stage.
- Meanwhile, add sugar and water to a saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir the sugar mixture until the sugar dissolves, after that only swirl the pan. Bring the sugar mixture to 240 degrees, or soft ball stage, and remove from the heat. Hot sugar can be very dangerous – so use caution when handling.
- Return the mixer to medium speed and slowly and very carefully stream the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites while the machine is still running on medium speed.
- Once all sugar syrup is added, raise the mixer speed to high and whip the egg whites until a soft, fluffy, and stark white meringue forms.
- Continue to whip until the outer side of the mixing bowl no longer feels warm to the touch and stiff peaks have formed.
- Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Dollop meringue atop lemon bars and spread into an even-ish layer using the back of a spoon.
- Torch meringue, if you wish! Pop those bars back into the fridge for a bit after topping with meringue so you can get a nice clean slice.
- Bars can be made 1 - 2 days ahead of time wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge.