Best Lemon Squares EVER

Ingredients

Crumble

• 1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted butter (salted)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (packed) or 1/2 cup (not packed)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Filling

• 1 300 ml can Eagle Brand Sweetened and Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1–2 lemons)
• Grated lemon rind from one lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Crumble

1. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients well.
2. Spread 2/3 mixture in an 8x12" greased baking pan and compress well into the bottom of the pan.

Filling

1. In a separate bowl, blend the sweetened and condensed milk with the lemon juice and lemon rind.
2. Pour the mixture onto the crumb base layer and spread evenly.
3. Sprinkle remaining crumbs to form the top layer.
4. Bake for 25-30 min or until just bubbling slightly at the edges.

Comments

This recipe is highly cherished and has won over every family member over four generations. Bunny Lawrence adopted it and passed it down to her daughter Barbara (Michel) and family. Barbara’s daughter Robin took over production at a very young age and its a wonder anything made it into the pan. Barbara’s son Justin introduced it to his family and his expert baker wife Sabrina created a five layer version!

Historical Record

Gail Borden introduced Eagle Brand in 1856 to fight food poisoning and other illnesses related to lack of refrigeration and preservation techniques. His discovery provided milk that would remain safe and wholesome.

The Civil War helped Eagle Brand become a household name.

In 1931, a Borden Kitchens’ promotion offered homemakers $25 for their original recipes. The rules called for “recipes in which Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk makes cooking quicker, easier, and surer.” Over 80,000 recipes were submitted. Quick and easy foolproof recipes have been a key benefit of Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk through the decades.

This recipe for Lemon Squares likely came from that initiative.

Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk continued to grow in popularity, gaining promotional assistance from Elsie®, the Borden® Cow. Elsie® made her debut in national consumer magazines in 1938 and starred in Borden’s exhibit at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. By the 1960s, Elsie® had become America’s best-known spokes-cow—a recognized symbol of wholesomeness and quality.

For more information, see the Eagle Brand Company history page.

As a teenager, Barbara had a summer job at the Canadian National Exhibition, CNE, in Toronto. Her job was to work with Elsie the Cow as she engaged with the public.