Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

I decided to make lemon bars after a friend of mine (NICOLE!) made them and said they turned out deliciously! We were even skyping and she just could not stop eating them in front of me (she lives in Switzerland)! So, I asked her for the recipe and decided to have a go at it.  It turned out to be delicious and a hit at our household! It was just the right amount of tang and sweetness. Definitely a good recommendation and I hope you think so too!

Ingredients (12-3inch bars):

-----The Crust-----

cooking spray

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

-----Filling-----

4 large eggs + 2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon lemon zest

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Line pan with foil and then spray foil again. 

3. Soften butter in a medium bowl.  Add flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and the salt to bowl. Combine until the mixture has a crumbly appearance.

4. Press evenly into the bottom of the 9x13 inch pan.  The crust should come up about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.  Make sure there are no cracks in the crust. 

5. Bake the crust for about 25 minutes.

6. For the filling whisk the whole eggs, yolks, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until smooth.

7. Add in the lemon zest and juice. Mix well.

8. After crust is done reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. 

9. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven. 

10. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. 

11. Refrigerate bars for at least 2 hours.  I kept mine in for about 3 hours before they were hard enough to cut in to. 

12. Sift powdered sugar over bars before serving.

13. ENJOY!

Raspberry Lemon Bar

Raspberry Lemon Bar

Last weekend was a weekend filled with desserts! As I mentioned before, I love all things tart so this dessert was perfect for me! I loved the tangy bars along with the raspberries.  Now, if you want this dessert on the more sweeter side, just add a bit of sugar to the filling or add half the amount of lemon juice. On a side note, raspberries, along with blueberries are my FAVORITE berries.  They are so delicious, and yes I know it's not the season right now, but Safeway had a sale going on and so I stocked up on my favorite berries.

This recipe is from twopeasandtheirpod.com, and man they sure can throw down some mean desserts. Like all desserts at my house, this was again gone in just a couple of days.  I guess it helps having so many people in and out of my house and a mom with a pretty big sweet tooth! Alright already, let's get on with it!

Ingredients for the Bar

Ingredients (about 15 bars):

non-stick baking spray
1 1/2 cup graham cracker

6 tbsp salted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1 lemon, zested

2 egg yolks

14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 tsp lemon zest

6 ounces fresh raspberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray.

3. Crush graham crackers (I used a blender, but a food processor or any such item would work).

4. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and zest of one lemon until crumbs are evenly moistened.

5. Press graham cracker crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the baking pan creating the crust.

6. Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it cool to room temperature.

7. While the crust is cooling, mix egg yolks and condensed milk. 

8. Add lemon juice and one teaspoon of lemon zest.

9. Stir mixture until it starts to thicken a bit.

10. Fold in raspeberries, making sure to fold slowly so not to break the raspberries.

11. Pour the filling over the crust.

12. Bake for 15 minutes.

13. Cool to room temperature.  Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
14. ENJOY!