Lemon Bars With Orange Zest Recipe 455

ZESTY LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center of oven. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
• To make crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt; process to combine. Add butter to processor and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles a coarse meal, about 10 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and work into flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers.
• Pour crust mixture into prepared baking dish, pressing down with your fingers to create a 1/4-inch-thick layer along the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides, pressing firmly at the edges to seal. Transfer pan to freezer and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan once during baking, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and flour; stir in lemon juice, milk, and salt until well combined.
• Remove baking pan from oven. Stir topping and pour into warm crust. Return pan to oven and continue baking until topping is just set but not browned, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 20 squares. Serve immediately or wrap each bar tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

LEMON SQUARE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
• In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar. Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Combine the sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
• Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON / LIME / ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• You will need a vegetable/potato peeler plus a mini food chopper or spice grinder for this. Blenders also work.
• Wash your fruit, then make sure it is perfectly dry.
• Run the peeler down the lemon/lime and make about 8 strips.
• Cut the strips in half.
• Put the strips in the chopper/grinder with the sugar and then pulse in the chopper until very fine. If using a blender, use the Liquefy setting for about 15-20 seconds.
• It's ready to be used in your recipe now!
• Got dried zest such as dried orange peel, etc? If you're like me and prefer the convenience of dried, here's how to make it close to fresh-- hydrate it with 3 parts water to 1 part peel. and let it stand for 15 minutes prior to using. I think powdered lemon rind works like regular zest and doesn't require rehydration.
• Please note-- rehydration DOUBLES the dry amount! For instance, if you hydrate 1 Tbsp zest with 3 Tbsp water, you will get 2 Tbsp "freshened" zest.

ZESTY LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add flour and oatmeal to the butter and sugar mixture to make dough.
• (it will be a little crumbly) Set aside.
• Stir juice and zest into milk.
• Set aside.
• Butter (or spray) a 9 by 13-inch pan.
• Press two-thirds to three quarters of the dough into the pan.
• Spread lemon/milk mixture evenly over the top of the dough.
• Sprinkle the remaining dough over the top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden.
• Let cool, slice into 1-inch squares.
• Cut into larger squares if you like.

AUDREY'S LEMON MERINGUE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with parchment, letting ends extend up sides., In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., For filling, in another large bowl, mix sugar, lemon juice, eggs, flour and zest until combined. Pour over crust. Bake until set and top is dry, 22-27 minutes., Meanwhile, for meringue, in a large bowl, beat egg whites with lemon zest and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread or pipe over hot filling., Bake until meringue is golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Lifting with parchment, remove from pan. Cut into bars.