Lemon Almond Crumb Bars

I absolutely love lemon bars.  In fact, once I went on a search for the best one and ended up making three different recipes.  And it seems that my family must love lemon bars just as much as I do because they had no problem gobbling up each of the attempts.  I honestly didn't think that there was a way to make them any better, but I was wrong.  This recipe switches out the powdered sugar topping with a lovely, crumbly, almond-y layer.  Oh my!  It's a great way to counteract the sweetness of the filling and also gives a contrast in texture to the smoothness inside.  I added a little candied ginger too and these bars were oh so tasty.  I think I may have just found my new fave lemon bar. 

Lemon Almond Crumb Bars (adapted from Bake or Break)

Crust:
1 c. all-purpose flour
pinch salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. sugar

Filling:
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Topping:
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
pinch salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
1/4 c. sliced almonds
3 Tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the butter until mixture is pea-sized.  Press into a parchment paper lined 8x8 pan and bake at 350F for 15-20 min., or until lightly browned.

For the filling:
Whisk together the eggs and sugar.  Mix in the lemon juice and zest, then add in the flour.  Pour over the crust and bake 15-20 min.

For the topping:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the butter.  Mix in the almonds and chopped ginger.  Pinch the mixture together to make large crumbs and scatter over the filling.  Bake 20-25 min. (I baked mine for 30 minutes), or till lightly browned and almonds are toasted.  Let cool, then chill in the fridge before cutting into bars. 

Glazed Lemon Squares

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Cook Lisa Cook.  If you've never seen her blog before, you simply must check it out.  She makes the most delicious things and her adorable daughter gets to eat them.  I must admit, I'm envious.  At first, I couldn't decide whether I should make the Oatmeal Cashew and Chocolate Granola Bars (which look way better than store-bought ones), Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars, White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark, (perfect for Valentine's Day), or her Glazed Lemon Squares.  In the end, I decided on the Lemon Squares, in part because I can't resist anything lemony, and also because these are different from any other lemon squares I've ever made.  Usually, you would top them with powdered sugar.  But, in this case, they're covered with a lemony glaze, giving you a double lemon kick in these bars. 

I loved how these bars came out of the oven with a crackly, crispy, shatter-y crust on top.  Then, hiding underneath is all that soft, lemony, melt in your mouth filling.  But, the glaze, oh the glaze is what makes these bars a star.  You cannot leave it off, the bars would just not be the same without them.  Like I said, it adds another layer of lemon flavor that you just wouldn't get with plain, old powdered sugar.  Plus, the tartness helps to even out the sweetness so that it becomes perfectly balanced.

I made this batch to share with another lemon bar lover and I think she's going to be over the moon to get them.  From one Lisa to another, thanks for the yummy recipe!

Glazed Lemon Squares (from Cook Lisa Cook)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter

Filling:
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
1 c. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine the flour and sugar and cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.  Press the dough evenly into a parchment paper-lined 8x8 pan.  Bake for 15 min. 

For the filling: 
Whisk the eggs with the sugar until well combined.  Add in the lemon zest and juice and mix well.  Stir in the flour and baking powder till well combined.  Once you take the crust out of the oven, pour on the lemon mixture.  Bake 25 min. or until the filling has set up and starts to turn brown.

For the glaze:
Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice till well combined and smooth.  Spread the glaze evenly over the bars once they have cooled completely.  Chill for at least two hours before slicing.

Lemon Raspberry Cookie Cups

I love, love, love lemony treats. I love them as much as chocolatey ones, maybe even more. In fact, if I had a lemon tree in my backyard, I'd be one super happy person. Just imagine an unlimited supply of lemon curd, lemon bars, lemon cookies, mmmm.


Speaking of lemony cookies, my love for all things lemony meant that I absolutely had to make a lemon cookie cup. Lemon goes really well with raspberries and, since I had a jar of raspberry jam from another cookie cup experiment, I decided to put a dollop of it into these cookie cups. Then, for extra lemony goodness, I topped the cups off with some lemon cream cheese frosting.


One bite, one bite and ohhhh I can't describe how delicious this truly was. It fulfilled all my lemony dreams and that bit of raspberry jam added just the right contrast. I cannot keep my hands off of this one and it was torture to hold off long enough to take pictures of them, cause goodness knows I wanted to eat them all right then and there. If you're a lemon lover, then these are the cookie cups for you. Just make sure you make a big batch.


Lemon Raspberry Cookie Cups (created by Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. lemon zest
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

6 Tbsp. raspberry jam

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened (you can use 1/3 less fat)
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 c. powdered sugar

For the cookie cups:

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and fragrant. Cream the lemon sugar with the butter. Add the egg and beat well. Mix in the baking soda, salt, and flour until incorporated.

Grease mini muffin tins. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350F for 12-15 min. until a toothpick comes out clean. If the cookie cups have risen over the muffin cups, use a spoon to flatten them down slightly to make them level with the tin. While still warm, make a well in the center of each cookie cup with your finger or a small spoon. Chill the tins in the fridge for 30-60 min. before removing the cookie cups.

For the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese with the butter until smooth. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Beat in the powdered sugar until fluffy.

For the assembly:

After the cookie cups have chilled, remove from the tins. Spoon in 1/2 tsp. of raspberry jam into each cookie cup. Pipe in the frosting on top of the raspberry jam to cover it completely. If desired, add a dot of raspberry jam to the frosting in the center of each cookie cups to make it look pretty.

Makes 36 cookie cups

Lemon Pie Bars

The first lemon bar received great compliments. However, I still believed that another recipe could be even better and I was sure my family would agree. So, I proceeded on to make Allrecipes' Lemon Pie Bars. Although these use less lemon juice than the Lemon Square Bars, they also have less sugar so I figured they'd be a little more tart. Plus, they have some lemon zest which would brighten up the flavor as well.


Sure enough, my family agreed that the lemon flavor was more pronounced in these bars. Hence, they were better. In addition, I learned my lesson from the first lemon bars and baked these for less time. As a result, the lemon filling was less solid and more gel-like (as my sister puts it), also a good thing. We tried one more lemon bar recipe but it couldn't compare to this one. These are clearly now the favorite in our family.


Lemon Pie Bars (Allrecipes)

2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter, softened

4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the butter. Mix well until the dough resembles pie dough. Press the dough into a 9x13 pan.

Bake 15-20 min. or until golden brown.

Beat together eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest for at least 1 min. Pour the mixture over the baked crust. Bake the bars for another 15-20 min., or until the lemon topping has set (mine took 15 min.). Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled.

Lemon Square Bars

According to my family, there is this awesome bakery on Oahu that makes lemon bars. They had tasted some of them and raved about them ever since. They believe that no homemade lemon bar can possibly compare. Oh we'll see about that. Challenge, accepted.

Since I had never tasted one of these lemon bars, I would have to rely on their descriptions to try and find a recipe that might match. All they could tell me was that it had a shortbread crust and a filling that was not too tart and not too sweet. Unfortunately, that basically described every single lemon bar recipe that exists.

I still had no idea of how tart or how sweet. So, I decided to try a couple of recipes and see what they thought. The first recipe I tried was the Lemon Square Bars from Allrecipes. It had a moderate amount of lemon juice so I figured it would be good to start there and then work my way up or down the tartness scale.

The only changes I made was to halve the amount of sugar in the crust (since my family wanted buttery rather than sweet) and to use cold butter instead of melted (me and melted butter just don't mix).


I may have overbaked them just a little too much, but it all turned out okay. The bars had a good crust to filling ratio and the filling had a mild lemon flavor. My family thought they were quite good. But, I'm not quite satisfied so I think I'll try another recipe to see if we can up the tartness just a bit.

Lemon Square Bars (Allrecipes)

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, melted

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5/8 cup lemon juice


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar. Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Combine the sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Spiced Lemon Kool-Aid Sherbet

Yup, I've got another spiced up recipe to share with you. This time, it's a Lemon Sherbet with ginger and cardamom to kick things up. But, there are NO lemons in this. Say what???!!! All the lemon flavor comes from . . . lemon Kool-Aid. Believe it or not, those little packets you see in the juice aisle aren't just for drinking anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love fresh lemons and am more than willing to use them in recipes. But, sometimes they just aren't on sale. So, I came up with this nice alternative and was totally pleased to find out that it worked so well. Just add a little to some milk, spice it up as you please, and churn baby churn in your ice cream maker. Then, voila! You've got yourself one delicious batch of Lemon Sherbet that's sure to please this summer.

Lemon Ginger Kool-Aid Sherbet (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

2 c. milk (I used skim, but use whatever you like)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. no-sugar added lemon Kool-Aid powder
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. gelatin

Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 Tbsp. of the milk and let stand 5 min. Combine the rest of the milk with the other ingredients. Add the gelatin milk mixture back in and whisk to combine. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Scoop into a freezer safe covered container and put in the freezer for several hours.

Meyer Lemon Curd

Up till now, I had never tasted lemon curd and always wondered what made people speak so highly about it. Well, after finally getting around to making a batch of it, I now know. It is like tasting sunshine. It's so smooth on your tongue and so full of zing from the lemon. Oh lemon curd, where have you been all my life? I wanted to eat it straight out of the pot or spread it on everything. It was that good. So, when life gives you lemons, do NOT make lemonade, make lemon curd.

As a sidenote, I have nearly exhausted my supply of meyer lemon recipes having made bread, muffins, cookies, this curd, and to-be-posted scones and sherbet. If any of you have a totally tasty recipe that uses lemon zest, I would love to hear it.



Meyer Lemon Curd (from David Lebovitz)

1/2 c. freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1/3 c. sugar (1/2 c. if using regular lemons)
2 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
pinch salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, eggs, and salt. Add the butter cubes and set the pan over low heat, whisking constantly until the butter is melted.

Increase the heat and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and just begins to become jelly-like. It's done when you lift the whisk and the mixture holds its shape when it falls back into the saucepan from the whisk.

Immediately press the curd through a strainer. Store the lemon curd in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to one week.

Notes:

1. Mine was taking forever to thicken, so I finally just covered it briefly and let the moisture boil off. Then, I whisked the mixture and repeated this process.
   
2. You will know it is thick enough when you can see the bottom of the pot as you whisk.
   
3. I did not find that it was necessary to strain my lemon curd.
   
4. When cooling the lemon curd after making it, I'd suggest covering it with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the curd to prevent it from forming a skin. Then, after it has chilled, you can store it as you like.

This recipe is linked to:
Make a Food-e Friend Monday
Rook 17 - A Little Birdie Told Me
What's Cooking Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday
Made it On Monday
Themed Bakers Sunday

Lemon Sugar Cookies

I hope you're not getting tired of all the Meyer lemon recipes because here's one more - Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies. Usually, things are never lemony enough for me, but that was not the case with these cookies. Plain though they may seem, they are full of tastebud-popping flavor that will satisfy any lemon lover. Maybe it's because I left the dough in the fridge for a while before I had a chance to bake it, thus letting the flavors strengthen. I don't know. But, what I do know is that my search for the best lemon sugar cookie is over. For me, THIS is it.

Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies (adapted from Baking Bites)

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon zest
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Cream the lemon sugar with the butter. Add the vanilla and eggs. Gradually mix in the flour mixture.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll in the sugar, and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 min. until set but not browned. Edges should be slightly firm.

Cool cookies on the pan for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 4 dozen

This recipe is linked to:
My Meatless Mondays
Just Another Meatless Monday
Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Tasty Tuesdays
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Hearth and Soul Hop
Delectable Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Sweet Tooth Friday

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

The Meyer lemon journey continues with Strawberry Lemonade Muffins. I decided to make them as minis simply because I love it when things come in little bites. Okay, I admit that the other reason is because I only have mini muffin pans. The pans, by the way, were a wonderful find. My sister and I had been helping to clean out my grandmother's closets and we found all these wonderful muffin tins. She let me have them and now I can bake muffins to my heart's content. Thanks grandma!

But, returning to these muffins, they were awesome. Each one was so fluffy and full of yummy sweetness from the strawberries. Although the lemon flavor was once again subtle, they were still so tasty that I couldn't stop popping them into my mouth. And, at about 40-50 calories per muffin, there's certainly no need to feel guilty about eating several at one time. It's definitely a breakfast that says, "Goodbye winter, and hello spring!"




Strawberry Lemonade Muffins (adapted from Baking Bites)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. Meyer lemon zest (I would suggest doubling the zest)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 500F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease 48 mini muffin cups.

Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. Cream the lemon sugar with the butter. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the lemon juice.

Combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped strawberries quickly.

Spoon batter out into prepared muffin cups (if using mini muffin tins, it's about 1 Tbsp. batter per cup). The muffin cups should be fairly full.

Bake for 5 min. at 500F, then immediately lower the temperature to 350F. Continue baking until muffins test done about 5 min. (for mini muffins) and possibly 10 min. for regular sized muffins. Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins or 48 mini muffins

This recipe is linked to:
Made it on Monday
Muffin Monday
Delicious Dishes
Made from Scratch Tuesday
Mangia Mondays
Full Plate Thursdays
Themed Bakers Sunday

Lemon Cranberry Bread

A while ago, I won a whole boxful of Meyer lemons. It was like a dream come true to have that much zest and juice just needing to be used. The only question was, "What to make first?" Since I also had some frozen cranberries left over from Thanksgiving, I decided to make this Meyer Lemon Cranberry Bread that I found on Baking Bites.

The only thing I noticed while making this is that the batter is extremely dense. I think I might add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice next time to thin it out just a bit more. But, other than that, it bakes up beautifully to yield some wonderful loaves of bread. I did use my 500F trick again. I'm not sure if it made a whole lot of difference though, so feel free to simply bake your bread at 350-375F if you want.

The resulting breads, alas, did not slice pretty, hence the reason why there's no picture of any cut slices. Of course, that does not affect my ability to eat and enjoy them in the slightest (and boy did I ever enjoy them). The cranberries are just perfect in this bread, adding yummy bursts of tartness in every bite. The lemon flavor was a little more subtle than I would have liked, so I might increase the lemon zest next time. But, regardless, these breads were just fantastic. I was planning on giving one of the mini loaves away (since I made two), but somehow I don't think that loaf will ever make it out my door. It just might find its way into my stomach instead. Oh well, guess that means I'll just have to make another batch. Ah, sacrifices, sacrifices.

Meyer Lemon Cranberry Bread (adapted from Baking Bites)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon zest
3 Tbsp. canola oiil
1 egg
1 1/4 c. fresh or frozen (unthawed cranberries)

Preheat oven to 500F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it is moistened and fragrant. Combine the lemon sugar with the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Combine the lemon juice, oil, and egg. Add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the cranberries, then pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).

Bake at 500F for 5 min., then immediately lower the heat to 350F. Bake for 25 min. more or until loaves test done. Cool on a rack for 15 min. Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

This recipe is linked to:
My Meatless Mondays
Just Another Meatless Monday
Midnight Maniac's Meatless Monday
Make it Sweet Monday
Make a Food "e" Friend Monday
Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Delectable Tuesday
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Hearth and Soul
Tasty Tuesdays
Rook 17 - A Little Birdie Told Me
Whatcha Makin' Wednesdays
Let's Break Bread Together
Sweet Tooth Friday
What's Cookin' in the Kitchen
Themed Bakers Sunday

Lemon Meringue Pie and an Accomplishment

I have always wanted to try making a lemon meringue pie, not because it's my favorite, but because it seems like such an accomplishment to be able to make one. After all, there are so many problems inherent in the process - the meringue weeps, the meringue shrinks, the filling is runny, the pie crust burns or is not flaky enough, etc., etc. To tell the truth, the very idea of trying to make one intimidated me. Until I found a recipe on Anna's Cookie Madness website. It was called Fool-proof Lemon Meringue Pie. Well, with a name like that, my worries were over.

I absolutely love Cookie Madness. She makes the most wonderful recipes and always gives insightful notes and tips that are a big help. She even makes multiple recipes for the same treat and then reviews them all at once so you know exactly which one will suit your purposes and likes. After reading her review on this recipe, I decided to follow it exactly as written with the exception of using her Betty Crocker recipe for the meringue, since she said that it doesn't weep like some others. With the perfect recipe chosen, I set myself to the task.

I will admit that it's not a quick process since there are so many steps - making the pie crust, blind baking it, making the filling, and whipping the meringue. But, it is easy to follow. As Anna directed, I made the meringue before making the filling. As you know, meringue takes quite a while to make. Furthermore, the meringue needs to be put immediately onto the filling while the filling is still hot, so as to prevent weeping later on.

At one point, I was worried that the filling wouldn't set since it seemed very liquidy. But, never fear, as soon as it started to bubble, the filling thickened all at once forming a potful of beautiful, translucent, lemony goodness. I then poured the hot filling all at once into my pre-baked crust, slapped on my pre-made meringue, and popped it in the oven. The meringue turned a lovely shade of light brown and then my pie was done.

I was so pleased. The meringue was still spread nicely over the pie - no shrinking. In addition, it hardly wept at all. But, how did it taste, you ask? Delicious. The filling was set and sliced perfectly. The meringue was fluffy and the pie crust was flaky. My family was thrilled. Even I couldn't stop nibbling at it, which really says something since I've never liked lemon meringue pie before in my life. After this, though, this will definitely be my go-to recipe. It's not just fool-proof, it's a success.


Fool-Proof Lemon Meringue Pie (from Cookie Madness)

Filling:
1 1/4 c. sugar
6 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold water
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 c. lemon juice
4 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. boiling water
Baked 9-inch pie crust

Meringue (from Betty Crocker):
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the meringue:
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla.

For the filling:
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 1/2 c. cold water, lemon zest, and lemon juice, blending thoroughly. Whisk in the egg yolks. Add the butter and whisk in 1 1/2 c. boiling water.

Set pan over medium high heat and stir until mixture boils, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir filling 1 minute more. Pour hot filling into pie crust and top with meringue. Spread meringue to seal it to the edges of the crust to prevent shrinking.

Bake at 350F for 15-20 min. until meringue is light brown. Cool pie for 2 hours. Chill the cooled pie in the refrigerator.