When Life Hands You Lemons

I have 18 naked lemons in my refrigerator. Naked because they have all been stripped of their sunny exteriors  for another recipe, one I'll show you later next week when it's done. There were originally 20, but now I'm down to 18 and trying to figure out how much lemon curd one girl and a boy with no sweet tooth can possibly consume without slipping into a diabetic coma. I love me some lemon curd and a big batch would help me make a big dent in my vast collection of rapidly perishing lemons. I just need to research how to preserve it so I don't have to store a gallon of curd in my fridge. I'm sure it can be done.

Meanwhile I used two lemons for a treat I've never made before, and probably never would have. Lemon squares are a decidedly summer indulgence, and one I like, but never really loved enough to bake. When I asked my Facebook friends what they'd do with 20 lemons, at least 4 people said lemon squares. The crust in this mishmash version is sweet and a bit crumbly like a shortbread cookies and the filling is just tart enough.  I'd have to make enough of these to feed an army to use all of that juice, but it's a start. A creamy, sweet/tart start that I'm enjoying as I type this with a big mug of tea on the first snowy day of the year. Yum.


Sugared Lemon Squares
-  a combination of recipes from Betty Crocker
and The Best Bake Sale Ever


Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for decorating
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tbls. heavy cream (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbls. flour

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk 1 cup of flour with powdered sugar. Cut in butter and cream until crumbs form. If this mixture seems a bit dry, add cream a Tbls. at a time to reach the correct consistency. Press into a 8 inch square baking pan, building up 1/2 an inch on all sides. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are just golden.

While crust bakes, prepare filling. Beat eggs, lemon juice, and granulated sugar until pale, about 2 minutes. Add 3 Tbls. flour and beat until just combined. Pour over hot crust and return to oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until filling is set. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Using a knife dipped in hot water, slice into squares and remove from pan with a thin spatula. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Print the Recipe



This post is linked to:
Hearth and Soul
Tasty Tuesdays
Tuesday Night Supper Club