Lemon Bars

A tart and tasty go-to treat; lemon bars are simple and sweet, like a spring day. I am all too aware that spring is still a couple months away, the weather won’t let me forget. The sun is a terrible tease, and the temperature is ferociously frigid, but I might as well let my baking be bright and sunny!

I had never made lemon bars before, but it was my friend’s birthday and I asked her for her favorite treat. If you didn’t guess, it’s lemon bars. I looked at a few different recipes, they were all very similar.

Ingredients

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

2 cups plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 heaping tablespoon grated lemon zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix 1/2 cup of powdered (or white cane) sugar with the butter until light and fluffy, or well mixed. Then add the 2 cups of flour; mix until smooth. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and place in the prepared oven for about 15 minutes. It should turn golden brown. I used my pie dish and my new tart pans, because I don’t have a square pan.

While the cookie/crust layer is baking beat together the eggs and 2 cups of sugar, along with the lemon juice (and zest). Slowly add the last 1/2 cup of flour until well blended. Pour lemon mixture over hot crusts and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Allow your bars to cool before cutting and dusting with powdered sugar!

 

Reference Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Lemon-Bars/Detail.aspx?soid=recs_recipe_seed
http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/12/meyer-lemon-bars/#comment-27436

BEIGN-YAY!

Beignets beignets beignets. I could live off of only beignets and be a happy, satisfied person, with no wants in life. There is nothing in this world better than a good beignet. My experience with beignets starts at the cusp of my earliest memories… When I was young we would go to Newport Bay Restaurant for brunch on occasional Sundays. They had a wonderful buffet spread full of muffins, cheeses, fruits, breads, cappuccino fudge bars, and any other delicious brunch buffet item you can think of. In addition to this lovely variety they also had standard omelets, eggs Benedict, and your traditional breakfast fare. But the true reason I so fondly remember this wonderful, coastal-themed restaurant, was not the main items on the menu but the baskets of beignets they would bring to your table. I would devour these lightly powdered pieces of deliciousness, with a ravenous delight. As soon as the basket was bare I would call out ‘Beignets, beignets, beignets’; it became my mantra.

As time passed Newport Bay discontinued their brunch buffet, and with it their beignets. I was, to put it simply, devastated. Beignets are not a common menu item outside of the French Quarter. I thought I might never taste a delicious beignet again until I was able to make my way down to their hometown of New Orleans, and I didn’t have hopes that would be happening any time soon. But then a miracle happened in the form of a small cafe down the road from my house. Cafe Beignet was a small little hole in the wall coffee shop with the biggest heart and soul, and the best beignets I have ever tasted. Saturday mornings would find my mother and I walking our dog Cinnamon down to the cafe. We’d sit outside on the patio enjoying mouthwatering beignets, and hearty quiche, along with a tasty German Chocolate Mocha or Italian soda. It quickly became our weekly tradition; no rain or snow would stop us from making our trek. We became close with the family that owned the place; they knew our usual orders, and had a soft spot for Cinnamon. Unfortunately, being a small family owned business there came a time when they wanted to retire, and the cafe closed.

Now, before I go on, I realize there must be some of you who are asking what in the world is a ‘beg-net’?  A Beignet (ben-yay) is a sort of French doughnut. Basically it is a type of sweet bread dough, fried in oil and covered in powdered sugar, they are most famous in New Orleans at the Cafe Du Monde. Now you may be asking what’s so special about a doughnut?  Well, that cannot be put into words.

Since the cafe closed there have been a couple other places that I have discovered deliver the delectable dish, but none so close to home. There is always Cafe Du Monde, which I have yet to visit; then there is Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney, California; and a small place in Helena, MT called Cafe Zydeco.

With my go-to beignet provider gone I struggled to find something to fill the void. Up until now I was extremely timid at the prospect of creating my own beignets from scratch; it seemed a task as daunting as baking for gods. I had no experience frying something in oil. I knew it must take extreme skill and care, of proportions which I did not possess. Recently though I realized the best I can do is step up to the stove and go for it; I know more about beignets than the average amateur baker so why not try my hand at the craft. I also really wanted my friends to understand my obsession with beignets, and that could not be described without actual taste experience.

I started by finding a well reviewed recipe online from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beignets/

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

*I used coconut oil for my shortening, and added 2-3 Tbs of honey, as well as some cinnamon–I think this really helped the flavor of the dough. Others have used vanilla extract, but I didn’t have any.

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, and blend well. Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the shortening, and then the remaining 3 cups of flour. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
2. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Fry in 360 degree F (180 degrees C) hot oil. If beignets do not pop up, oil is not hot enough. Drain onto paper towels.
3. Shake beignets in paper bag with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm.

We didn’t have too much trouble with the oil. Although we did end up with some burnt flour floating around that we had to spoon out in between batches. Be sure not to get your oil too hot, and don’t try to fry too many beignets at once or the oil will spit like a camel.

These beignets were a huge success. I have not tasted such delights in a long time, and now all of my wonderful friends can understand why I’m so beignet-crazed. I truly believe that everyone should experience the joy and deliciousness of beignets in their lifetime.

You won’t regret it.