Gingered Lemon Almond Squares Recipes

GINGER ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Combine the ginger and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil and sesame oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the arbol chile and cook, stirring frequently, until the chile begins to give off an aroma, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently until lightly toasted, approximately 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook until reduced slightly and the pan looks dry, approximately 1 minute. Immediately remove the nuts to the large bowl and toss with the ginger mixture.
• Spread the coated nuts into a single layer on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pan to a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes or until completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

LEMON-SCENTED GINGER ALMOND CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove almonds to a shallow bowl to cool. Turn off oven.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, ginger, lemon zest, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add butter, molasses, and lemon and vanilla extracts, and beat until combined. With a wooden spoon, stir in almonds and crystallized ginger.
• Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 7-by-3-inch rectangle about 1 1/4 inches thick. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until very firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (nonstick French baking mats) or parchment paper.
• Using a sharp knife, cut rectangles crosswise into very thin slices, thinner than 1/8 inch, if possible. Arrange on prepared baking sheets 1/2 inch apart. Bake until just beginning to darken around edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer crisps to wire racks to cool.

GINGER AND ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the pan with baking parchment, letting the parchment hang over the sides. (This will make it easier to remove the dessert once baked.)
• Prepare the base:
• In the saucepan, melt the butter. Add the almond meal, fresh ginger, honey, egg, salt, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The mixture should be thick and sticky.
• Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan. To help make a level and even base, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the base. Using a flat-bottomed glass (or your fingers), smooth out the base by pressing gently to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Bake until the base is slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping:
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the almonds, candied ginger, honey, salt, and vanilla. Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated.
• When the base is baked, spread the topping evenly over the base and bake until the topping is dark and sizzling, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not underbake.
• Transfer the pan to the baking rack to cool. When the dessert is completely cool, remove it from the pan using the overhanging parchment as handles and cut it into 16 even squares.
• Do Ahead
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Variation:
• Chestnut Honey Squares: For the base, replace 1 cup (90g) almond meal with 3/4 cup (120 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour and use a strong honey, such as chestnut, in place of the mild honey. For the topping, replace the candied ginger with organic candied orange or lemon peel, cut into tiny cubes.

LEMON-ALMOND SQUARES

Steps:

• For crust: Preheat oven to 350F.
• Mix flour, sugar and salt and cut in butter until mixture holds together when pressed; pat into bottom of 9 inch square baking dish; bake until light brown, about 15 minutes.
• For filling: Beat eggs and ½ cup sugar until thick and pale; add almond paste and beat until smooth.
• Mix in lemon juice and peel and all purpose flour.
• Pour filling into crust and bake until firm but not brown, 17-20 minutes.
• Cool in pan.
• Dust with powdered sugar.
• To serve: Cut in squares using knife dipped in hot water.

GINGERED LEMON ALMOND SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor grind fine the almonds with 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar and 1 cup of the flour, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it just resembles meal. Pat the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking pan and bake the crust in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is pale golden. Let the crust cool completely in the pan on a rack.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are thick and pale, beat in the granulated sugar and the lemon juice, and beat the mixture for 8 minutes. Sift in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour, the baking powder, the ginger, and a pinch of salt, stir the filling until it is combined well, and pour it over the crust. Bake the confection in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is set and pale golden. Transfer the dessert in the pan to the rack, sift the additional confectioners' sugar over the top, and let the dessert cool completely. Cut the dessert into 2-inch squares.

LEMON SQUARES WITH CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Crust:.
• In medium bowl or food processor combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture starts to hold together.
• Press mixture into bottom of 8 or 9 inch square baking dish lined with parchment paper or make sure it is well buttered.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Set aside to cool slightly.
• Topping:.
• In a medium bowl, beat eggs with sugar until light and creamy.
• Mix flour with baking powder and stir into egg mixture.
• Add lemon peel and juice,coconut and ginger, stir well.
• Pour topping mixture over baked crust, bake for 20 minutes in 350 degree oven until just set.
• Cool on rack. Cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar, if desired.
• This will yield approximately 25 squares,depending on how you cut them.
• Serve and enjoy!