The first little hint of spring has come to the Hudson Valley. I love this time of the year. I can open my windows, open my door and let the fresh air start flowing. I drove past a little nursery down the road from our house and saw they have flats of flowers out for sale. I unfortunately do not have a yard to plant flowers but I just might put some in a pot so I can bring some color to my front step. I know this is a lot of talk about spring but seriously it puts me in such a great mood. The other day I saw some daffodils and they had the most vibrant yellow color. This made me think of lemons and that thought made me think of lemon bars. I know it seems like a weird way for a recipe to come to mind but it really is amazing what food you can be inspired to make just by looking at nature. As I re-read what I just wrote I realize I sound like a nut but I swear I’m completely sane. I just think this Spring like weather is making me all happy and maybe a little dorky too….
Lemon Bars:
Crust:
1 stick unsalted butter – room temperature
1/4 C. powdered sugar
1 C. all purpose flour
1/8 t. salt
Filling:
1 C. white sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 C. fresh lemon juice
1 T. grated lemon zest
2 T. all purpose flour
Topping:
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Grease 8×8 pan with non stick spray or butter.
For Crust: In the bowl of your electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just comes together. Press into the bottom of your greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
For Filling: In your electric mixer beat the sugar and eggs until nice and smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine. Fold in the flour. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
To Serve: Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar. These are best eaten the day they are mde but can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a day or two.
Source: Joy of Baking
ohhh, these do look yummy!! And your very entertaining Brandy ;o) Keep em coming!
It doesn’t take much for me to get a craving or reminder of a certain food. These look so yummy. And perfect for Spring and daffodils!
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Mmm what’s really good is using a lemon bar recipe like this one and using lime zest and juice instead of the lemon.