For people like me who are crazy about lemon desserts, there is no such thing as a bad lemon bar. A cross between a pie and cookie, lemon bars are the best of both worlds — pretty enough for a pastry tray, yet sturdy enough to eat with your fingers instead of a fork.

The Irish call our bar cookies "tray bakes," a term that better describes how to bake dozens of cookies without the fuss of scooping out individual portions of dough. Lemon bars, as well as toffee bars, raspberry slices, pecan and maple bars, all rely on a shortbread crust, one that is tasty enough to stand, untopped, on its own.

Rich, dense, slightly crumbly and not too sweet, shortbread is made of just three simple ingredients, then baked and sliced into diamonds, finger lengths or triangles.

As a foundation for a lemon bar, the shortbread crust is improved by working a little whole-wheat flour in with the all-purpose for a slightly nutty flavor and coarser texture. When it comes to the filling, many recipes instruct cooks to first make a lemon curd by slowly cooking egg yolks and sugar over low heat to create a custard that is poured onto the cooled prebaked crust.

The other option is to bake the lemon filling on a parbaked crust and then return the pan to the oven to finish the bars off. This method is less messy but the lemon filling will not be as thick or as fluffy as the bars filled with lemon curd. These bars are also sturdier and, as a result, easier to tote to a potluck or picnic.

Lemon bars are a marriage of contrasts — tooth-tingling tart lemon against the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crust. The type of lemon is key; choose the common lemon (aka Eureka). It is higher in acid and its flavor is far brasher than the milder, floral Meyer lemon. Save those the lovely Meyers for chicken or a lemon aioli.

Honey and lemon are natural partners, and a mild honey (clover, basswood, etc.) is an interesting alternative to white sugar in the filling. Honey contains a little acid that seems to brighten the lemon's punch. Top the bars off with thinly sliced kumquats, which will caramelize into a lovely finish, for a kick of color and taste.

Beth Dooley is the author of "In Winter's Kitchen." Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.