I usually refrigerate the second day on. It isn’t some rule that I read, just what I do. Since it is summertime if you want to err on the side of caution you could fridge them once cool. Most baked good can be out for hours if not days in room temperature. Think about it, in the supermarket pies, cakes and cookies are usually dated 3 or more days in the future. The high fat content makes them resistant to bacteria and spoilage. The supermarket is probably keptcooler than your house though, it is cooler than my house anyway. I usually pop baked good in the microwave for storage so ants and other bugs are not a concern.

I’d opt for safe over sorry. I’d keep them in a cool place in the kitchen over night if possible. And it’s easy enough to transport them in a little cooler bag that will protect them from wilting or getting soggy on a long drive. The lemon curd-like filling is a little more vulnerable than, say, your average brownie.

They’ll warm up soon enough.

Home-baked goods do not have the chemicals and preservatives in them that supermarket ones do, which is what allows them the very long shelf life.I

@gailcalled I wasn’t talking about Entemann’s. I meant the goods baked fresh in store.

I think they’d be good for a couple of days without refrigeration as long as you keep them in an airtight container.

It looks like they will be made in the morning. After a softball game, making and eating dinner and mowing until dark, I’ve run out of time tonight. I was worried about the bars sitting in the car and then the nursing home all day, but it sounds like they should be fine until my dad can take them home. I was also thinking of transporting them in a cooler bag, @gailcalled. Good suggestion.

Thanks everyone!

^^ I hope that you mother shows some signs of improvement.

(Throw a small ziplock bag filled with crushed ice and wrapped in a cloth into the cooler bag. Then at day’s end, add vodka and use as a beverage. It goes well with lemon squares.)

I would not leave them sitting in the car in the heat for long. I didn’t originally understand them to be sitting in the car, I thought they would just be transported in the car and assumed air conditioned. Cars get very very hot when not moving and the windows are up. Greenhouse effect. It is not like having them outside for an hour for a party, it is much hotter. If they will be in the car like this can you bring them in something that will keep them cool? An Igloo or styrofoam thingy.

They will only sit in the car for the drive. They will then be sitting in the nursing home until my dad goes home. My air conditioner makes my old car very sluggish, so I won’t be using it, but we are only expecting a high of 79 or 80 today, so the ride should be enjoyable and not too hot for the bars. I know better then to not let lemon bars sit in a hot parked car. ;) I was just wondering if they should be kept in cool storage for the day during the ride and then in the nursing home. The last thing my dad needs right now is food poisoning.

@gailcalled She still has good and bad days. They just put her on Ritalin to see if it will help her to be more alert. She finally said a few words yesterday after weeks of not speaking. Two days ago my dad was discouraged and the house doctor told him he was worried she wouldn’t improve much, but yesterday gave him some hope. She even peddled a bit on a stationary bike. No vodka here, but I’m sure Jon will have a beer or two waiting for me when I return. The vodka idea does sound good!

The butter should be softened now so I need to get baking. Thanks again everyone.