When Life Gives You Lemons - Make Lemon Bars!

Mother's day is just around the corner. My mother has naturally given me the old "when life gives you lemons" speech multiple times. The thing is that despite everything which has happened in her life she consistently looks at things in a positive light and expects the best possible result. Recently, she amazed us all by deciding to make a cross country drive on her own. She did it. Now all she can talk about is getting back on the road to go to LA. She has gone from not being able to get on the highway to travel between Ann Arbor and Troy, Michigan - to planning her next road trip. She is a unique person and the more I get to know her the more I realize just how much she embodies the idea of the "lemons" speech.

So, in honor of all those moms with their unflagging positive attitudes and their "turn things around" pep talks, here is a recipe for Lemon Bars. Like moms, these lemon bars are special. They have coconut crust and are naturally made from real, fresh squeezed lemon juice. I also just happen to think moms like lemony things - my mother-in-law had dibs on these every time I brought out the Holiday Cookie Assortment. Make a batch and share them with mom!

Lemon Bars with Coconut Crust

Raspberry Rhapsody Bars, Brownies, Coconut Macaroons,
Lemon Bars with Coconut Crust and Honey Almond
Shortbreads all from Baking Pure and Simple

Crust

¾ cup unsalted butter

⅜ cup sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

1½ cups flour

2 cups unsweetened coconut*

¾ tablespoon lemon rind, grated

½ cup powdered sugar for dusting

*Be sure to use unsweetened coconut which is usually finely shredded for the perfect crust.

Topping

5 eggs

1⅔ cups sugar

½ cup lemon juice 

1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated

¾ tablespoon flour

A pinch of salt

Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add salt and flour and mix.  Add coconut and lemon rind and mix just until blended.  Press evenly into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch non-stick baking pan.  If you have one small enough, use a rolling pin to evenly flatten the surface, otherwise use your fingers flattened out to press the dough as evenly as possible.  Bake for 10 minutes.  If the topping is not ready when the crust has baked 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven until you are ready to pour the topping over the crust.

Topping: While the crust is baking, blend the eggs and sugar until just mixed.  Add the lemon juice, rind, flour and salt and mix until just combined.  Place the crust in the oven with the shelf pulled out slightly but make sure it is secure and level.  Carefully and evenly pour the lemon juice mixture over the top of the partially baked crust.  Slowly push the oven shelf and pan back into place before closing the oven door.  Bake for 20 minutes or until firm.

Allow to cool completely before cutting. Trim away edges if desired.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.  Makes 3 dozen.

Note:  The edges are great chopped up and sprinkled over vanilla ice cream.

Haven't figured out what to get mom for Mother's Day? 

Baking Pure and Simple is a great present for moms who love to bake.

Sunday Morning - Wake and Bake...

I asked the maid in dulcet tone

To order me a buttered scone;

The silly girl has been and gone
And ordered me a buttered scone.

This poem illustrates the different ways people pronounce the word scone.  These days wake and bake might sound the same as some other activity, but to me it signifies getting up, getting out the flour, butter and cream and making something to go with your Sunday morning coffee.  Use your imagination to come up with all kinds of scones.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started, traditional scones with currants (center), orange scones (right) and cinnamon walnut scones (left.) Enjoy these scones with a little jam or Lemon Curd (recipe below scones) or just plain.  Sharing the platter with the scones are two kinds of bran muffins, orange flaxseed (top) and traditional (bottom right) all from Baking Pure & Simple.

Scones

3¼ cups flour

⅜ cup sugar

1½ tablespoons baking powder

1¼ teaspoons nutmeg

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ cup unsalted butter, chilled

¾ cup heavy cream

3 eggs

1¼ cups currants

1 tablespoon cream mixed with 1 egg

2 tablespoons Turbidano sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl.  Using your hands, cut the butter into the mixture until crumbly.  Add currants.  Mix cream with eggs and add to the mixture, stirring just until combined.  Turn onto a lightly floured board.  Knead by folding and flattening gently 4 or 5 times.  Roll out to ¾-inch thickness.  Cut into triangles about 3 inches per side.  Brush with the egg and cream mixture.  Sprinkle with the Turbidano sugar crystals.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Makes 12 scones.

Orange or Lemon Scones: Add ¼ cup sugar to the dry ingredients, omit the nutmeg and currants and add 1½ tablespoons grated orange or lemon zest.  Offer Lemon Scones with Lemon Curd. Glaze Orange Scones with a mixture of powdered sugar, milk or cream and orange zest all measured to taste and consistency.

Cinnamon Walnut Scones: Substitute 1 tablespoon cinnamon for the nutmeg and walnuts for the currents. 

Ginger Scones: Substitute ¼ cup finely diced crystallized ginger for the currants and omit the nutmeg.

Chocolate Chunk Oat Bran Scones:  Substitute chocolate chunks for currants and substitute cinnamon for nutmeg.  Increase butter by 2 tablespoons, substitute buttermilk for heavy cream and increase by ¼ cup and add 1 cup oat bran.

Dried Cherry or Cranberry Scones: Substitute dried cherries or cranberries for the currents.  Substitute cinnamon for the nutmeg.  Add 1½ teaspoons grated orange zest (optional).  Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional).

Lemon Curd

8 egg yolks

½ cup lemon juice (juice of 3 to 4 small lemons)

1½ teaspoons lemon zest (zest of approximately 1 small lemon)

⅔ cup sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter

Whisk together egg yolks, juice, zest and sugar in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl over gently simmering water.  Cook until thick, whisking frequently for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add butter and stir until completely melted.  Remove from the top of the simmering water to cool.  Place in a glass container for storage.  Cool uncovered in the refrigerator until chilled, then cover.  Keep refrigerated until served.  Makes 2 cups.

Happy Sunday!