Alice Medrichs Tangy Lemon Bars Recipes

ALICE MEDRICH'S TANGY LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
• To make the crust: Cut butter into chunks and melt it in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan, Bake for 25- 30 minutes, or until the crust is well browned at the edges and lightly browned in the center.
• To make topping: While the crust is baking, stir together the sugar and flour in a medium bowl until well mixed. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. When the crust is ready, turn the oven down to 300 and slide the rack out without removing the pan. Pour the filling over the hot crust.
• Bake for 20- 25 minutes, or until the topping is puffed at the edges and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is tapped. Set on a rack to cool completely in the pan. Lift the ends of the foil liner and transfer to a cutting board. Use a long sharp knife to cut into sixteen 2 inch bars. May be stored, airtight, in the refrigerator. Lemon bars keep perfectly for about 3 days; after 3 days the crust softens but the bars still taste quite good for the remainder of a week. Do not freeze. Sieve powdered sugar over the bars just before serving.
• Equipment: 8-inch square pan, lined on the bottom and up all 4 sides with foil.

LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Position rack in lower third of oven and Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9 inch pan lightly with vegetable oil spray.
• Make the crust: Stir the 3/4 cup of flour, the corneal, salt and baking soda together with a whisk to combine. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar and beat at high speed for about one minute or until mixture loses its crumbly texture and begins to form a mass. Beat in the egg yolk, yogurt, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and beater. Knead the mixture briefly with your hands to mix thoroughly.
• Press the dough evenly into the pan and prick all over with a skewer or fork. If pan is light weight, place on baking sheet. Bake until brown on top, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Make the topping: Whisk eggs and the egg white with the remaining sugar until combined. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest. Whisk in the 1/4 cup of flour. When crust is brown, turn oven temperature down to 300 degrees. Pour topping over hot crust and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until topping barely jiggles in the center when you shake the pan gently back and forth. Cool on a rack. Chill before cutting into squares.
• Serve cold or at room temperature (I like them cold) dusted with powdered sugar. They last a couple of days but are most delicious on the day they are baked. Do not freeze.

VERY TANGY LIME (OR LEMON) BARS

Steps:

• Place rack in lower third of over and preheat to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 8" square baking pan with foil.
• To make the crust, in a medium bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
• Press the dough all over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until well browned on the edges and golden brown in the center.
• To make the topping, in a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. whisk in eggs. stir in lemon juice and lime zest.
• When crust is ready, turn oven down to 300 degrees. Slide the rack out (with pan on it) and pour filling onto hot crust.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles.
• Lift the foil liner out and transfer bars to cutting board. You can blot the surface of the bars to remove any foam. (Test to make sure your bars aren't to sticky first. This trick could remove a lot more than excess foam -- ).
• Cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving. Will keep in airtight container for up to a week.