Love And Lemons Recipes

BEST HOMEMADE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish (not a 9x9 dish or your brownies will overcook) with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, water, and vanilla.
• Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet mix and stir until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it'll be thick - that's ok) and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached (note: it's better to pull the brownies out early than to leave them in too long). Cool completely before slicing.*** Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These also freeze well!

BEST SALAD RECIPES: EASY GREEK SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
• On a large platter, arrange the cucumber, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, and olives. Drizzle with the dressing and very gently toss. Sprinkle with a few generous pinches of oregano and top with the mint leaves. Season to taste and serve.

EASY LEMON BARS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper that sticks up above the sides of the pan, so that you can remove the bars later for easy cutting. Set pan aside.
• To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
• Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and stir to combine completely.
• Crumble and distribute over the bottom of the pan and press evenly into the bottom so that it's even.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are just getting lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
• To make the filling, combine the sugar and flour. Add the eggs, lemon juice and salt and whisk together to combine. Don't over mix.
• Pour the filling on top of the crust and bake for 18-22 minutes or until relatively set. Remove from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate until cold and firm.
• Remove bars from pan and dust with powdered sugar, then cut into squares. Bars are best when stored well covered, and they'll last for 5-6 days.

LEMON POPPYSEED CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). 2
• . Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• . Add the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
• . Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
• . Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
• . Combine the milk and lemon juice, then slowly add the mixture to the batter and mix until well combined.
• . Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• . Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds and gently stir to combine.
• . Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
• 0. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
• 1. To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
• 2. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
• 3. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until well combined.
• 4. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar, as desired for consistency purposes.
• 5. To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they're flat, if needed. 16
• Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. 17
• Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake. 18
• Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting. 19
• Top the cake with the remaining layer and frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed. To make the line pattern in the side of the cake, I used one of the decorative sides on this icing smoother. 20
• Finish off the cake as you like. I added rosettes around the top outer edge and sprinkled on some poppy seeds. I also added some lemon slices. 21
• Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Cake is best served cool, but not necessarily cold.