Lemon layered bars

What is it about moms and their collections of ingeniously easy, yet delicious, recipes? Unfortunately, I can't give the original author of this one credit, as I only have a photocopied page of an unknown cookbook. It came to me via my BFF's mom, who had a little handwritten note in the margin about how much her daughter had liked these. So sweet!

My only genius modification was to add a slice of lemon for decoration in the middle. I got distracted doing laundry and slightly overcooked the crust, but it actually made the lemon stand out more!  I also didn't have the right size of pan, so my bars were a little taller than usual. I brought them to a dinner with friends so I didn't get a picture of them cut up. But, I can saw they were a real crowd pleaser, and I kept sneaking back for JUST ONE more.

xx

In a large stand mixer, combine 1 package lemon cake mix, 1 egg and 1/3 cup melted butter. Beat on low speed until well-blended and crumbly. Reserve 1 cup crumbs for topping. 

Press remaining crumbs firmly into 13x9" greased bake pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden. 

In a small mixer bowl, combine 2 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Beat on medium speed until light and foamy. Pour over crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly on top. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until set and golden. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Dust with icing sugar (not shown). Cut into bars.