HB's Luscious Lemon Bars

HB's Luscious Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 C butter (chilled and cut into 1 inch cubes)
dash salt
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 C flour

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9x13 pan with foil,  with extra hanging over the edges.  Press foil into corners and smooth. (The overhanging foil is to allow for easier removal of the lemon squares to cut after they have cooled.) Grease foil.  Put crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixed well, pale yellow and resembles coarse meal.  Press into the prepped 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Filling:
4 eggs, beaten well
2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1 t lemon zest
1/2 C fresh lemon juice

Powdered sugar for garnish

While crust is baking, prepare filling. Combine flour & sugar.  Mix in eggs, zest and juice.  Pour onto warm crust. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until set.  Cool completely or better yet, chill (makes precise cutting a little easier).  Remove entire baked lemon dessert by lifting it out of the 9x13 pan with the tin foil.  Cut with a sharp knife.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

**I wasn't a huge lemon bar fan...but now I am!  I made them once over 16 years ago (in my old house) and wasn't too thrilled.  So this time, I consulted a few recipes and made two.  Neither did it for me, but there were elements of the two that did, so I combined the two and in my opinion it was perfection!  The best crust, with the perfect amount of lemon.
**Side note...ATK's (America's Test Kitchen) was overly lemony and the crust wasn't so great!  Grandma Braithwaite's (HB's mom) recipe was a delightful texture, but didn't taste lemony enough.

Peach Lemonade Jello

Peach Lemonade Jello

2 lg pkg peach jello
4 C water
1 C fat free plain yogurt
Lemonade concentrate

Dissolve Jello in 4 C boiling water.  Divide in half and separate.  In one half add yogurt and wisk until combined.  Dissolve lemonade concentrate 1 T at a time in yogurt jello mixture until desired tartness (I usually use 4-6).  Pour into a deep 9 in pie plate (or 9x13) and let set in the refrigerator.  When yogurt mixture is set, pour other half of Jello on top and refrigerate.

**I picked this as a part of my birthday dinners growing up. Best jello combo ever!

Luscious Lemonade Cake

Luscious Lemonade Cake

1 1/3 C sugar
6 T butter, soft
zest of 1 lemon
3 T thawed lemonade concentrate
2 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 egg whites
2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C buttermilk

Place sugar, butter, zest, lemonade and vanilla in amixer and mix until well blended.  Add eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, mis together dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to batter, alternating with buttermilk, until all dry ingredients and butermilk are well blended.  Pour into tow well greased and parchment paper lined 9"round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Frost when completely cool.

Lemonade Frosting
2 T butter, soft
zest of 1 lemon
2 T thawed lemonade concentrate (I added 1 more T,  3 T total in frosting)
1/2 t vanilla
1 8oz package of cream cheese, soft
3 1/2 C powdered sugar

Mix together all ingredients except powdered sugar and bled well.  Gradually add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until blended.  Don't overbeat. Frost cake.

**Grandpa Frank loves lemon and we've been looking for a while for a birthday cake that is delish, but still has a tart bite.  This is it and it's fantastic! From the Keeping Up Cookbook

 A little fancier for Mother's Day!!!

Chicken Picatta

Chicken Picatta

4 chicken breasts (sliced in half horizontally to make thinner and pound out between plastic wrap to make thin.)
4 T olive oil                          
1 C white wine
2 t garlic                          
1 1/2 C Chicken broth
4 T fresh lemon juice                     
5 T unsalted butter
fresh lemon slices                      
chopped fresh parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge in flour.  Shake off excess and place in hot pan and oil (only use 2 T for first 4 pieces, then add 2T more).  Cook chicken for approx 2 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to a warm serving platter in oven.  Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic.  Cook until boils for 1 minute.  Add broth and lemon juice.  Return chicken to pan and cook each piece for 1 minute.  Return chicken to oven.  Add butter and lemon slices to pan and cook until butter is melted and mixed well.  Pour sauce over chicken.

*Best served with thin spaghetti.  Cook spaghetti and place on platter, put chicken on top and then pour sauce over chicken and spaghetti.

Julie's Blueberry Lemon Cake

Julie’s Blueberry Lemon Cake

3 1/3 C flour           
½ t salt
½ t baking soda             
½ t baking powder
Mix together, set aside.

¾ C butter           
2 C sugar
1/3 C fresh squeezed lemon juice     
1 t grated lemon zest
4 eggs                 
1 C + 2 T buttermilk
2 ½ C blueberries (fresh is best, but frozen can be used)

Mix butter until fluffy.  Add sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beat until well blended.  Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk. Batter will be very thick.  Fold in blueberries.  Divide batter into 2, 9inch parchment lined and greased cake pans. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes (sometimes less) or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on racks for 10-15 min.  Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
2 boxes or 11oz bakers white chocolate
12 oz cream cheese         
¾ C butter soft
2 T fresh lemon juice
Melt chocolate in pyrex in microwave. Stir and let cool.  Beat cream cheese and butter, then add lemon and white chocolate.
Frost cakes and then refrigerate until ready to serve.