Lemon Bars

To be honest, I think January is the most depressing month of the year. The 'most wonderful time of the year' is over, everyone goes back to their regular routine, it's cold, people are concerned about their weight, and there isn't another holiday to be excited about for a long time. It simply sucks.

In an effort to make January a little more bearable, I like to make lemon bars. It's a fresh treat for a fresh new year. I was able to make them earlier this week when we had a friend over for dinner, and I can proudly say they put a smile on everyones face (yay!).

**Now, I like my lemon bars chunky, so I baked them in an 8X8 pan, but you can really put this recipe in a 9X13 inch pan if you like your bars thinner...especially if you like a thinner crust.**

What You Need
Base
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
- Powdered sugar

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar (1/3cup), flour (1 1/2cups), and salt (1/2 tsp). Using a cheese grater, grate the butter (1/2 cup) and incorporate into the base mixture until small crumbs form by hand. Or, if you're fancy and have a food processor, combine all of the ingredients until small crumbs form.

2. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8X8 pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Take out and let cool while making the topping.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs (5) and sugar (1cup&2tbsp) for about 3 minutes, or until pale and thick.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour (1/3cup), baking powder (1tsp), and salt (1/4tsp). Then gradually mix in the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Then mix in the lemon zest (1/2tbsp) and lemon juice (1/2cup).

5. Immediately pour lemon mixture over base in pan. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. If the topping is still jiggly, bake for an additional 2 minutes, or until the topping is set. Take out and let cool completely.

6. Once cool, pile on that powdered sugar over the bars. Put as much or as little as you like. For me, I love having the bars covered in powdered sugar. Then cut into squares and enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

There's been quite a number of 'fake summers' here in Portland recently. For a few days at a time, Portland has been greeted with amazing warm weather and everyone in this town is loving it! I'm definitely among the masses on this one, and taking full advantage of the nice weather by going on bike rides, putting my summer dresses to use, hanging out/running in the park, eating outside, and baking up something totally delicious AND refreshing.

Now you may ask yourself, what kind of dessert is refreshing other than ice cream? Well...I'll tell you...Strawberry Lemonade Bars! They're like lemon bars, but with strawberries added in!

What You'll Need
Crust
-8oz (1 stick) butter
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-3 egg whites
-1 whole egg
-2/3 cup lemon juice (3 lemons)
-2 tablespoons lemon zest (2 lemons)
-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups strawberries, puréed
-Powdered sugar

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8X8 pan.

2. For the crust, cream butter (1stick), sugar (1/4cup), and salt (1/4tsp). Mix in the flour (1cup) until just incorporated.

3. Flour your hands, and press the dough evenly in your 8X8 pan. Place in oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

4. For the filling, whisk together the sugar (1/2cups), egg whites (3), egg (1), lemon juice (2/3cup), lemon zest (2tblsp), flour (2/3 cup), salt (1/4tsp) until incorporated. Then whisk in the strawberries (1 1/2cups). Pour mixture onto crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until filling is set. 

5. Let cool completely, and then refrigerate to chill. When ready to serve, dust with as much powdered sugar as your heart desires and cut into squares!

This treat is a fresh take on your regular 'ole lemon bars. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy lemon bars very much, but the strawberries add a perfect amount of sweet to balance out the tart lemon flavor. 

So...if you're enjoying the warm weather wherever you may be, then give this recipe a shot! You won't be sorry!

Lemon Blueberry Scone Cookies

Yesterday was one of those rare occasions where I was able to make something unique without having to run to the grocery store for an ingredient or two. Hooray!

The weather in Portland has been phenomenal: 70s-80s for the past week! So to accompany these bright sunny days, I wanted to make something light and refreshing. I remember pinning Hot Polka Dot's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies a long time ago, and figured that this would be a perfect spring snack!

I was also feeling a little adventurous the other night, so I omitted the cream cheese and an additional stick of butter. The cookies still came out fabulously, and they actually reminded me of scones. Hence they are now called 'Lemon Blueberry Scone Cookies'! Others would argue that it tastes like a muffin top, so maybe you can be the judge when you make them. Either way, they're yummy!

What You Need
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (1 large lemon)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup blueberries

What You Do

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together your butter (1/2cup) and sugar (1cup) until creamy. Then mix in the lemon zest, juice (3tbsp), and eggs (2) until blended together.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda (1/2tsp), baking powder (1/2tsp), salt (1tsp), and flower (3cups). Next, mix them in with your wet ingredients. Gently fold in the blueberries (1cup) until they're well incorporated. Lastly, refrigerate dough for 15-30 minutes.

4. Take dough out of refrigerator and drop 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of dough onto your baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-14 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Take out, cool, and then enjoy!

A few extras:
-You can use frozen blueberries if you so choose
-The dough will be more 'cakey'
-These cookies are amazing. And you should make them.