Christmas gift idea: The Bald Baker's Lemon Bars

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December 14, 2025 | 3:55pm

MANILA, Philippines — Cy Ynares is not known as The Bald Baker for nothing. He makes awesome special cookies — some simple and classic, others bold and daring and loaded with toppings — that will make anyone drool, so that when he opens his home kitchen to online orders, all slots get filled in no time at all.

He also makes some exciting pastries that are all certified hits. So, when he shares a recipe, such as this one of his Lemon Bars, you’ve just got to pick up and give it a try at home.  

Here is Cy Ynares’ Lemon Bars recipe, which makes nine to 12 pieces of 2x2-inch squares.

“I made these a little less sweet, so you can play around with the amount of sugar in the mixture, from 320 to 375 grams,” Cy said.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

225 grams unsalted butter

85 grams powdered sugar

5 grams vanilla extract

260 grams all-purpose flour

320 grams sugar

4 pcs. lemon, juiced and zest grated

4 eggs

10 grams lemon extract

Confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, for dusting

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. To make the crust, blend butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and all-purpose flour until well combined.

3. Evenly press the crust into the bottom of a parchment-line 9x13-inch rectangular pan. For thicker squares, use a 9x9-inch pan.

4. Bake until firm and golden for about 15 minutes.

5. Make the filling. Mix sugar and zest of your lemons. Massage until fragrant.

6. Add eggs, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Whisk until smooth.

7. Pour filing over baked crust.

8. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until almost set. The center should still jiggle a little. Set the pan aside to cool completely. The bars will firm up as they cool.

9. When lemon bars are cooled, dust with confectioner’s sugar and cut into uniform-sized bars. Enjoy!

Tips:

· You can brown your butter and toast the flour of the crust for a deeper flavor.

· This recipe usually works for most citrus fruits, such as limes and oranges. I have never tried grapefruit and blood oranges, but I feel they should work.

· If you want to prolong the white cap of the squares, instead of dusting with confectioner’s sugar, use Bianca powder.

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