Lemon Thyme Bars

I watched Giada make this on Giada at home couple of weeks back, and decided to give it a shot so we'd have some fresh lemon bars for the in-laws to have for breakfast or to snack on during the day.

Thyme is usually an ingredient used for savory cooking, but its fragrance really goes so well with lemon! My final product looked much more rustic than the image shown on the site and on TV, but it was still delicious! Its made with a stick of butter, but the lemon citrus really cuts through it and you don't taste any "buttery" bars at all, especially after storing in an air-tight container for a couple of days. I also added lemon zest for some extra flavor and garnish

Ingredients:

Butter, for greasing dish
Flour, for dusting dish

Lemon Bars:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon zest, a handful

Sweet lemon sugar glaze:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish.

Making the lemon thyme bars:
In a small bowl combine flour, thyme and salt. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick of butter and powdered sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Using damp fingers, press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Cool for 30 minutes.

Making the glaze:
In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled crust. Top with lemon zest for flavor and color. Allow the glaze to harden, at room temperature, for at least 1 hour. I cooled it overnight.

Using a metal spatula, remove the crust from the pan. Cut into 1 1/2-inch square bars and arrange on a serving platter or store airtight in a plastic container at room temperature.