Ultimate Lemon Squares Nick Malgieri Recipes

BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch or 9-by-9-inch baking pan, preferably nonstick.
• In a stand mixer or food processor, combine crust ingredients. Mix or pulse until well combined and moist clumps form. Using your hands, press mixture evenly but gently into prepared pan.
• Bake crust until edges and top are light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate once for even browning.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk all the ingredients together until smooth.
• Pour filling over hot parbaked crust and return to the oven. Bake until filling is almost set, about 20 minutes more. (Thicker squares, baked in the 9-by-9-inch pan, will take longer.) Start checking after 15 minutes; when you give the pan a gentle shake, filling should be lightly set all over and still quivery in the very center.
• Let lemon bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle the top lightly and evenly with confectioners' sugar.
• Cut into squares, diamonds or rectangles and remove from pan. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. If desired, sprinkle again with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

SUPERNATURAL BROWNIES

Steps:

• Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter, chocolate and sugars together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt and vanilla.
• Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

CHERRY CRUMBCAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 by 15-inch jelly roll pan and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.
• In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until soft and light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the batter in three additions, alternating with the yolks and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter the cherries evenly over the batter, pressing them in gently.
• Scatter the Crumb Topping over the berries as evenly as possible. Bake the cake about 40 minutes until batter is firm and crumbs are well colored. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Cut the cooled cake into 24 (3-inch) squares. Remove the squares from the pan to a platter.
• Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Melt the butter and stir it in evenly. Rub the mixture to coarse crumbs by hand.

ULTIMATE LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 7 x 11-inch baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and white sugar in a bowl. Mix in the butter; and stir until well mixed and crumbly. Press mixture in bottom of prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
• Mix 3/4 cup white sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking powder, lemon juice and lemon zest together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer or wire whisk. Blend thoroughly.
• Pour filling over hot crust. Return pan to oven and continue baking until filling is set, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.