I love citrus flavors. In the summertime, I like them best in drinks. I like them in baked goods too. But I like these the least in baked goods that I require me to turn on my oven.
But this product hit the shelves, it went right into my cart and yes, my oven ended up being turned on in August. So my first complaint is as follows: there should be a no-bake bar for the summer months. No excuses.
Tasting and review
Now, whenever I have picked up something that requires prep work I need to know if the directions are correct. And the directions need a little bit of work and revision.
The first step is assembling the shortbread. Butter and crust mix. My butter was room temperature. That's what I define as softened. Had it been melted there would have been a chance it would form into a dough.
If it is just softened it looks like a pie crust before the addition of ice water. It won't be a dough until that bit of hydration comes in. So I pressed it into my pan in all of its powdery glory. And docking it, or the pricking of a fork on such a flaky item didn't work. So I went forward anyway.
At this point, those were the only flaws I found. Otherwise, what came out of the oven after adding the sugary lemon egg mixture was quite pleasant and delicious. I wouldn't recommend using anything other than fresh lemons.
I don't own an 8 x 8-inch square pan. But simple math says the area of a 9 inch round pan is pretty darn close in size. Yes, middle school math came in handy on this one if you find yourself in the same situation.
But what finally came out of the oven was a treat that was full of lemon flavor. It was sweet and slightly tart. The shortbread cookie holds the lemon filling well.
If you add powdered sugar, then do so before serving as anything I added the night before had vanished in the magical way that powdered sugar always seems to.
Overall
For $2.99 it's not a bad mix to pick up and use when turning on your oven sounds like a good idea. My husband liked these and I did too.
Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix was worth a try, but with pumpkin season around the corner, I'm not sure I'll be buying this again. Honestly, the Maple Pecan Bar was my favorite and I hope it will be back.
Product photos
The box of Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
Out of the package you get:
After being cooked you get:
I used my pizza cutter to slice into these bars:
A closer look at the slices:
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Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix
Product Name: Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix
Product Description: Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix is a seasonal find at Trader Joe's.
Price: $2.99
Summary
Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix is a seasonal mix.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Trader Joe's Lemon Shortbread Bar Mix makes for a pleasant and lemony dessert which has a nice contrast between the shortbread cookie and the soft lemony filling.
Cons
- Seriously, I don't understand why Trader Joe's hasn't rolled out a no-bake bar for the summer months.
- The thought of turning on the oven isn't that appealing during the summer months.
- There were a few things unclear in the directions.
Alek says
I think those would be nice for a tea party. I think a Smores bar should be good. No brainer.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! Yup, even a simple get together they would be a very presentable item to bring. They tasted pretty good too. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Dag says
Couldn't you have used your air fryer to make them? My air fryer bakes just as well as it fries. There is no way I would turn my oven on for anything (it is 92 @6:45pm where I am in Seattle right now) so I've been baking and cooking everything in my air fryer. You would just probably need to make the lemon squares in a small round pan or even use foil and fashion a round pan out of that and make it lemon bar slices LOL. I'm already looking forward to Pumpkin season.
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! I am so sorry to hear how hot its been for you guys! It's 90 here at 7:30, but in New York thats completely normal for August. You probably could air fry it, but you'll have to play around with dimensions since this item gets baked twice. My air fryer couldn't handle any of my bakeware as the basket is big enough to hold 2 empanadas at a time. What baked goods have you put in there? I've only done the savory stuff. Thanks so much as always for stopping by and sharing!
Ttrockwood says
I feel like for a mix it requires a lot of additional ingredients...! And did it really make 16 servings? Maybe they’re just extra tiny portions.
I swear i saw frozen lemon bars that sound almost exactly like this actually over by ice creams and such.
becomebetty says
Hey Ttrockwood! It's three things: butter, eggs, lemon juice. Still beats making this from scratch. I have the lemon bars in my freezer. I haven't gotten around to trying them yet. It's on my list. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
Dag says
Ttrockwood-----Yup, I have seen said lemon bars in the frozen section also. They seem remarkably similar.
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! They're in my freezer as we speak and I'll eventually get to reviewing them. Makes me wonder why they would offer two items that are so similar. Thanks so much for sharing!
Alek says
Maybe this offering gives a opportunity to tweak up by adding swirls of raspberry jam. Or even blueberries! It nice to offer a mix so cooks can get creative. Break the tradition. Although the frozen ones are nice to have in handy.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! Absolutely! Once you make something once you can add and play around with it to see how much it would need. Both of those would make for nice complimentary flavors. Thanks as always for sharing!
Dag says
Oh okay I didn't realize your air fryer was so small. I had a small one that I inadvertently knocked off the counter one day and destroyed it. I end up getting a great deal on a larger one on Amazon. It's about 8 inches across. I can easily do two of those ham and cheese croissant squares with room to spare and it can fit about 5 silicone cupcake liners comfortably. I have baked all kinds of stuff in there including cupcakes. It all reality I use it more to bake then I do to fry. I have tossed in those new Trader Joe German pretzels. I often put in my English muffins because it goes so fast and it gets crispy on both sides. I love not having to turn the oven on. We have finally gotten a little bit of a reprieve for the last couple of days. That said as the week goes on we are heading back into the upper 80s. Every summer is getting hotter and hotter here longer and longer. Throw in alot of sweltering humidity and I might as well go back to the east coast LOL
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! Yes, it's small, but I like my air fryer. What did you think of the pretzels? I figure you would have a more authentic voice on this one as they are made in Germany :). Glad things are finally cooling off by you!
Dag says
I love the pretzels. Far superior to the generic Super Pretzel variety. Trader Joe's soft pretzels from Germany taste more authentic. Not as good as homemade but not much is. Topped with cheese, dipped in Pub cheese, dipped in different varieties of good mustard and gourmet mustard dips ( my grocery store has a clearance section and I found Stonewall Kitchens Blue Cheese Herb Mustard & Stonewall Kitchens Horseradish Bacon Mustard Dip for 50% off!)......I have done it all......lol!
causeforthequiet says
My husband and I tried these. They were easy to make, but there is no comparison to lemon bars from scratch!! I’m enjoying your posts! I love TJs!
becomebetty says
Hey Causeforthequiet! By chance, do you have a yummy homemade recipe you'd like to share with everyone? Just asking. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!
Elle says
I thought they tasted delicious and were easy to make. The directions were simple enough and the end result reflected that. If you don't want to turn on your oven in the summer months, but still want to cook & bake, think about getting the large size Breville Smart Oven. It sits on the counter and doesn't heat up your kitchen. It even has a convection setting if you want to bake that way. I make absolutely everything in this oven. The only time I have to turn on the big oven is if I have a really big turkey on Thanksgiving. Yep, it's THAT good. You're welcome 🙂
becomebetty says
Hey Elle! Thanks for sharing!