Here’s what I wanted in a Lemon Bar:
- a crisp crust (but not rock hard) that allows the cookie to be safely held
- the cookie should be 1/3 crust and 2/3 filling
- the filling should be firm enough that it doesn’t ooze, but not Jello-like
- the filling should be tart
- no stove-top cooking of the filling – oven bake only
- whole eggs only rather than yolks, if possible
Is that too much to ask? It took MANY attempts but, as it turns out – no, it’s not.
As far as the crust goes, the keys were to use granulated sugar (rather than the often used confectioner’s sugar), and melted butter (rather than soft). Also, freezing the patted out dough for 5-10 minutes, followed by docking it (piercing it with a fork) before par-baking, kept the crust flat.
For the filling, remember – tartness comes from the lemon zest. Adding extra lemon juice only dilutes the curd. Pack the zest when measuring – don’t worry about the zest marring the creaminess, you’ll strain it out before baking. When I got down to the best number of eggs, I could either go with 2 whole eggs plus 2 yolks, or 3 whole eggs. Because the fillings were equal in consistency and flavor (although the ones with yolks were yellower), I went with 3 whole eggs since it was easier.
I started my Lemon Bars journey using a glass 8″ x 8″ pan. In my research, someone wrote metal pans lead to a crispier crust. I happened to have a metal 8″ x 8″, so I switched over. Of course, there were other variables I was doing to the dough, so I’m not sure how important the metal vs glass is. Use what you’ve got before buying something new.
The final piece of the Lemon Bar puzzle was removing them from the pan. I had a heck of a time. I watched tons of videos and they always seemed to just pop out – Ina Garten didn’t even use parchment! – so it may just be me. My problem may have been that I didn’t grease the pan before placing the parchment slings, nor did I grease the parchment itself. When I did grease the pan and the parchment, I was able to pry them out.
I, also, concocted a method of using one large piece of parchment to limit leakage (and using slightly less parchment!). I’ve fine-tuned my folding method since I did my last bake. Pictures and instructions of my latest fold method are at the end of this post, following the recipe. If you have a better method, by all means, use that.
LEMON BARS
Note: I put measurements in grams, cups, and ounces – use what you like.
Crust Ingredients:
- 115 g (1 cup / 4 oz) all-purpose flour
- 3 g (3 T / 1 oz) granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 85 g (6 T / 3 oz) butter, melted
Filling Ingredients:
- 287 g (1½ cups / 10 oz) granulated sugar
- 19 g (3 T / ½ oz) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1½ T lemon zest – packed (don’t be stingy)
- 4½ T lemon juice (bottled or fresh)
- 3 eggs, beaten in a small bowl
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit / 177º Celsius
Grease an 8″ x 8″ pan (I prefer metal). Line pan with parchment and grease the parchment. You can use the folded 1-sheet insert method (instructions below after the recipe), the 2-sheet sling method in which you have a parchment strip going north-south, and the other going east-west, or any other method you choose.
Start by combining the filling in order to draw out the lemon flavor from the zest: In a bowl, stir together the 287g sugar, 19g flour, 1/4 tsp salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and beaten eggs. Set aside while you make the crust. The baking powder will be added just before pouring into the crust.
To make the crust, stir together the 115g flour, 3g sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt, then pour in the melted butter. Using a fork, stir just until all the flour is incorporated. Sprinkle small clumps of dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan, then press dough to evenly cover bottom. Smooth it as best you can to lessen finger indentations. Freeze 5-10 minutes to firm up.
When oven is heated to 350 F/ 177 C, remove crust from the freezer and liberally dock the crust (pierce it with a fork) to prevent it from rising.
Bake until well-browned – about 19-22 minutes (it needs 21 minutes in my oven). Remove from oven.
When the crust comes out of the oven, stir the baking powder into the filling, then pour through a strainer into a clean container. Stir the filling in the sieve with a spoon to help the filling flow. Don’t forget to scrap off the filling clinging to the underside of the sieve! (Waste not, want not!)
Discard the bits of zest and egg that remain in the sieve. Yuck!
Pour filling onto the hot crust.
Bake at 350 F / 177 C until the very center of filling still has a slight wobble – 19-21 minutes. (Keep an eye out – the filling cooks quickly at the end). Remove from oven and let rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
Run a dull knife between the pan and parchment – the filling tends to leak before it solidifies and needs to be gently dislodged. Gently (notice I use this word again – the crust is still very soft and you don’t want to break it), begin to lift up the bars out of the pan. You’ll probably have to work your way around the parchment ears, lifting….gently. Once it breaks free, place the bars on a wire rack, then peel down the sides of the parchment and let cool completely. Yes, the sides look raggety, but you can cut those away later (or not).
Once the bars are completely cool (and I mean completely!), flip them over by sandwiching them between another wire rack or flat plate. Peel away the parchment and flip them back to right side up.
Slide them onto a flat surface and cover (I have a square Tupperware, or you can use the baking pan.) Refrigerate at least 24 hours. (I know that sounds like a long time to wait, but they need that time to come into their own.) Sprinkle liberally with confectioners sugar and slice away the ratty-looking edges (you can still eat them).
For appearances sake, it’s best to slice the bars with a non-serrated long knife, cutting straight down, using a rocking motion when you get down to the crust. Some people wipe the knife clean after each slice, but I’m not that particular.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOLDING A PARCHMENT INSERT
I’m using wrapping paper for this demonstration so you can see which side of the paper goes where. The final product will look like this:
- To line an 8″ x 8″ pan, cut out a 14″ x 14″ square (8″ for the pan, plus 3″ for each border. Draw an 8″ x 8″ square in the center of the paper (you don’t have to write the numbers). This will become the bottom of the insert – you don’t want food touching the pencil or ink marks.
2. Fold each border in so the edge meets the ink mark. This fold will be 1.5″ for an 8″ x 8″ pan. There’s no special order to the folding.
3. Flip the paper and fold in each side border, creasing at the ink line. The side border will be 1.5″ tall, double folded. You will now have an 8″ x 8″ square.
4. Unfold the fold you made in Step 3. In each corner you’ll notice a 1.5″ square created by 2 outside edges and 2 creases. Cut one of the 2 creases in each of the 4 corner squares to the corner point (see the neon green lines in the photo below). It doesn’t matter which of the 2 creases you cut in each square, but only cut 1 crease per square.
5. Unfold the paper from each corner flap.
6. Fold each corner flap underneath the side border next to it.
7. Unfold the side border and nestle the flap inside the side border so it fits snuggly.
Needless to say, having a food blog, I cook a lot! Not only do I prepare tried and true favorites, but I’m always on the search for something new. As we all have preferences in tastes, I often tweak other’s recipes to suit myself.
Chop the greens into 1″ (approximately) pieces.
Add in the ginger, garlic, paprika, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes – bloom 1 minute. (Blooming brings out the flavors.)
Add in 1/4 cup cilantro and 2 T parsley – bloom for another 1 minute. 
Add in the vegetable stock, chickpeas, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover with the lid slightly askew and let simmer for 20 minutes. 
Add in the tomatoes (plus their juice) and orzo. Partially cover and let simmer for 7 minutes.
Add in the Swiss chard (or whatever greens you want) and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 
Add in the lemon juice, remaining 2 T parsley and 2 T cilantro, and the Feta. 
Taste for seasoning. (I added 1/2 tsp salt.)
Ah, summer! Longer days, sunny weather, and fresh produce. Besides fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes, corn on the cob ranks at the top.
In a large bowl, whisk the sour cream, lime juice, mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp salt, and the sliced chilis. 
Remove the husk and silk from the corn cobs, then wash and dry the ears. Next (this may sound daunting, but I promise you it’s not), holding each cob at an angle, remove the kernels by running a sharp knife down the sides. It’s easiest to begin a couple of inches from the top and work downwards, away from you. Then flip the cob, and remove the bit that was at the top in the same manner. (You can help cut down on flying kernels by holding the ear in a large bowl.) You’ll get about 3/4 cup of corn from each cob – I found that amazing. 
In a large nonstick skillet, put 1 T of the oil, half (approximately) of the corn, and 1/4 tsp of the salt. Spread corn out evenly in the skillet. 
Turn heat to medium/high, cover and let cook untouched for 3 minutes – this will char the corn. Remove covered skillet from burner and let set for an additional 15 seconds to allow the corn to stop popping before removing the lid. Pour cooked corn into into the sour cream mixture. Repeat the charring process with 1 T oil, the remaining corn, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour into bowl.
In the now empty skillet, put 1 tsp oil in the center. Top the oil with the garlic and chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds to bloom the flavors. Add to the corn mixture and stir together. 
Let cool for 15 minutes. Add in the Feta, cilantro, and scallions. 
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Sometimes you just have to shake things up a little.
Pour onto a rimmed sheet with the potatoes laying cut side down. Roast undisturbed in the preheated 425º F oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool a little while you mix the dressing.
In the same bowl you used to mix the potatoes (you don’t have to wash it), mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon, 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp ground pepper, and celery. When cool enough to handle, chop the roasted shallot and garlic, and add to the dressing. Mix in the potatoes. 
You can serve it as a warm salad or chilled – it’s up to you. Just before serving, mix in the chopped chives.
Brazilian Cheese Rolls – where have these been all my life?! Crusty outside, stretchy inside. An added bonus for those of you who have a problem with gluten: they’re gluten-free!
Put the milk, olive oil, and butter in a small saucepan. Over a low/medium flame, bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into the flour.
Turn the mixer on low and beat until all the flour is incorporated – about 1-2 minutes. (It will look rough and crumbly.) 
Add in the eggs and mix on low speed. Once it looks creamy (like frosting), continue to beat another minute.
Add in the cheeses, and mix just to blend on low. 
Scrap down the dough and smooth top. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours – this will firm up the dough, making it easier to work with. 
Using a large spoon, scrap out each wedge and roll into a smooth ball (it helps to have one of your hands wet so the dough doesn’t stick). Place each ball on a parchment lined baking sheet. They’re going to rise as they bake, so make sure to space them. One large sheet will hold all 8 rolls.
Using a pastry brush, paint the sides and tops of rolls with the egg wash. 
I’m going to use all caps because this is important!: PLACE SHEET IN OVEN, THEN 
I hate waste – particularly of food. Unless it’s gone bad, I find a way to use it or save it (thus my self-proclaimed moniker of Queen of Freeze!) So I often find myself with bits and bobs which need to be eaten.
Here comes the tricky part – you’re going to need to flip the frittata to brown the other side. Loosen the bottom using a metal spatula. Once the bottom is no longer stuck, carefully slide the frittata onto a large plate.
(Or, you can place a plate on top of the skillet and, using oven mitts, flip the skillet letting the frittata drop onto the plate.) Cover with another plate and flip. 
Then, slip the flipped frittata back into the skillet and cook until the bottom is well browned. 
Let set about 5 minutes before slicing.
Broccoli Garlic Pasta is a new addition to my list of favorite dinners. It’s one of those recipes that I create in order to use up an ingredient that would soon be going bad – in this case, it was mushrooms. I threw in other items I had on hand – the pièce de résistance being the Feta cheese, which made all the difference.
Kill heat and sprinkle on flour. Over low flame, stir 1-2 minutes to slightly thicken the liquid and cook-off the flour taste. 
Add in the wine and cream. Cook over medium heat about 1 minute. 
Stir in the Feta, Pecorino, and parsley. Stir in the pasta and heat through. Pour into serving bowl (or let remain in pot), cover, and let set for about 5 minutes to allow pasta to absorb the liquid and thicken up.
Due to my frugal nature (some may say, ‘cheap’), I found myself with an abundance of frozen egg whites. It turns out there are many more recipes that call for an extra egg yoke than an extra egg white. Due to my aforementioned frugal nature, I froze the unused whites rather than throw out perfectly good food.
Into a bowl, sift together the cake flour and 5 oz (3/4 cup) of the sugar. Set aside.
With the mixer still running on medium, start adding the sugar/cream of tartar mixture to the whites 1 tablespoon at a time. 
Once all the sugar/tartar has been added, increase mixer speed to high until soft peaks form. Turn off machine, pour in the vanilla mixture, then quickly mix together on low. 
Here’s where your jaw may drop. If you read other angel food cake recipes, they’ll tell you to FOLD in the flour mixture gently in order not to deflate the meringue. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to bother. Simply add 3 T of the flour mix to the batter through a sieve, then turn your mixer on the lowest speed for a few seconds to incorporate the flour, running a spatula along the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Turn off the mixer, then add another 3 T flour to the batter, turn on the machine to low and mix to incorporate for a few seconds. Continue until all the flour is added and incorporated.
Put into the oven and bake about 45-50 minutes – until golden brown and cake springs back when you press it with your finger.
Remove from oven and immediately turn upside-down. Let cake remain like this until completely cooled – about 3 hours. 
Pour 2 T olive oil into a rectangular or square container with sides at least 3″ high, covering the bottom and sides. (The square corners train the dough somewhat and help it fill the corners of the baking pan. If you don’t have a container like this, just use an oiled deep bowl.) The dough is going to rise very high, then collapse somewhat. Cover container and let rise 5½ – 6 hours. Note the low height of the dough when I pour it in. 
Here’s after 2½ hours:
After about 4 hours it starts to collapse a bit – this is normal. 
After dough has been rising for 5 hours, preheat oven to 500º Fahrenheit, rack in the middle position. If you have a baking stone or steel (I use a steel), place it on rack as the oven preheats.
Note how bubbly the dough is: 
Gently pour the dough into the prepared pan, nudging the dough into the corners – try not to deflate the dough. 
If you’re using toppings such as olives or slices shallots, sprinkle them on, lightly pressing them into the dough. Let dough set uncovered for 20 minutes. 
Brush 2 T olive oil over dough, then sprinkle on 1 tsp oregano, pepper, and salt. 
Place in 500º F preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until well browned on top and sides have pulled away from the edges a bit. Remove from oven and let rest in pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Decrease oven temperature to 350º F, leaving oven door open to expedite the oven temperature drop.
While omelette is baking, remove focaccia to a cutting board. Using a long bread knife, very carefully slice bread in half horizontally. (Take your time – the edges are crispy, making it difficult. I’ve found it best to cut into the bread only – not in and out, which tends to tear the bread.)
Once the bread is completely sliced through, leave it together to retain its heat.
Vegetarian Cooking For Carnivores BLOG 