Stars Lemon Squares

Lemon Squares

When life gives you lemons, make lemon squares. This recipe is from Jeremy Tower when he owned the Stars Restaurants in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Napa. These lemon bars are simply the best--firm but delicate, perfectly lemony and not overly sweet.

Stars Lemon Bars

Crust:

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 C powdered sugar

6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) cold sweet butter

Filling:

6 large eggs

3 C sugar

1 C plus 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 C flour

Powdered sugar for dusting.

To make crust:

Preheat oven to 325 F

Combine flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, add the butter and mix on low speed until mixture is the size of small peas. Press the crust into the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Bake the crust for about 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the filling:

Decrease oven temperature to 300 F

Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and then the flour. Pour lemon filling on the top of the crust. Bake for 40 minutes, until the lemon filling is set. 

Allow to cool for one hour, slice into squares, and dust with powdered sugar.

Lemony Ice Cream

My friend Rene had a huge harvest from her lemon trees.  Time to make Lemony Ice Cream!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 cup sugar

juice and grated rind of two lemons


Mix the milk, cream and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Put it in a metal pan and into the freezer. When it's mushy, take it out, add the juice and rind and beat with an electric hand mixer until it's smooth. Return to freezer and let freeze solid.  This recipe is easily doubled.

Adapted from "Catered Affaire"

NOTE from Rene:  I like it lemony so I always add more lemons.

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Lemon Curd

The Cuisinart is something that I've had on my kitchen counter for 40 years.  I still have my original machine.  It is used several times a week if not more, and I've only had to replace the bowl one time.  I've had to replace almost everything else, buy not my beloved Cuisinart!  I use it for my daily chopping and mixing chores, when it's appropriate.  Lemon curd is perfect for the food processor or blender. The recipe is pretty much fool-proof and the food processor makes it easy.

1 C sugar

3/4 C freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 eggs

1 stick butter (1/2 C) but into pieces

pinch of salt

Combine ingredients into processor bowl and whirl until mixture is smooth (ish).  It will look curdled and lumpy, but don't worry.  Pour into saucepan and cook on medium heat until thick and glossy, stirring constantly. It will only take 5 minutes or less.  The consistency will be more like gravy, but as it cools, it will thicken.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator, where it will thicken even more.  If I'm serving this in the evening I will make it in the morning. 

I'm sure this would last a week in the refrigerator, but it's never lasted that long.  It's great over cake or fruit, even on toast! 

This is my own recipe, but the photo source is kitchenconfidante.com

Preserving Lemons, Lemon Sugar and Salt Preserved Lemons

 You know the old saying, "When life gives you lemons, preserve them!"
(it's something like that!)

I've used expensive store bought preserved lemons in a Moroccan recipe before.

I loved them.

 When I was gifted some beautiful lemons, I thought I'd try it myself.

The recipe is so easy with ingredients I already had on hand:

lemons, kosher salt, coriander and fennel seeds plus a cinnamon stick.

Salt Preserved Lemons

Wash glass canning/pickling jar in very hot water.  Scrub lemons well.  Cut the lemon in half lengthwise almost to the base, do not cut all the way through.  Make another similar cut to divide the lemon into 4 sections.  Pry apart and pack with kosher salt and put in sterilized jar.  Repeat with as many lemons as you can squeeze in, I had to cut a few lemons in half to fill up the sides.  Add spices if you like, fennel seed, coriander seed, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns and cinnamon stick are good choices.  Pack with more salt, I used a bit less than a cup total, and add freshly squeezed lemon juice to fill all crannies.  Shake and turn up side down occasionally, adding more salt and juice if needed.  The picture below is what it looked like the next day.  Shake daily for about a week.  They are ready in 3 weeks and can be stored for 6 months, unrefrigerated.  To use them, you need just rinse excess salt and they are ready for the recipe.

This is my first try at salt preserved lemons.  I'll let you know what I think of them and what recipes I end up using them in!  And since we're talking lemons, have you ever made Lemon Sugar?  So simple.

Lemon Sugar

The easiest way to preserve that lovely lemon flavor.

Scrub and dry 3 large lemons.  Zest just the bright yellow part.  Add 2 cups sugar and rub through fingers to infuse the zest and lemon oil throughout the sugar.  Sprinkle sugar on baking sheet to dry overnight.  Next morning break up crumbles, I had to give it a quick whirl in the food processor.  Store in clean jars.  We had it on yogurt this morning, nice, and I see lemon cookies in my future.

Helpful links:

Original recipe for preserved lemons here and another one here.
Canning jars here.  I love these, they last forever!
You can purchase preserved lemons already made for you here or here.
Here are several recipes using the preserved lemons, 
and also this recipe from the lovely Barefoot Contessa.
My favorite lemon zester here.

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