Lemon Bars

I had never made homemade lemon bars but after making these, I thought to myself, "Why Would anyone not make these homemade?". This is by far one of the simplest things I have ever made and it was so delicious too. I oddly made these for halloween...i'm not quite sure why but I did and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

Adapted from: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

For the Crust
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 Cups of Flour
1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt

For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs
3 Cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh grated lemon zest (about 4-6 lemons)
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (from those zested lemons)
1 cup of flour
Confectioners' sugar for dusting on top
Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer

3) Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed.

4) Dump the dough onto a well-floured cutting board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill for 30 minutes.

5) Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let it cool but leave the oven on.

6) For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

7) Dust with confectioner's sugar.

8) Share and ENJOY!

I really loved these lemon bars and they are so simple. If bringing them to a friend's, I recommend cutting them into little "bars". Makes it easier to serve and eat.

Made: 10/30/10

Posted: 01/12/10

white chocolate lemon truffles

these are one of those recipes that is kind of mind boggling. it is so easy and so delicious all at the same time. golly gee. i wish all sweet treats were this quick and simple to make...but then again, if they were than i would make them all the time and definitely become a fat kid. for real.

anywho, for super great buddy of BOOF, Sho's, final hh with work buds, I decided that I would make a couple of things. I had been planning to make these truffles for sometime and I finally found the perfect occasion to make them for. if you really want a quick and easy crowd pleaser, then this is definitely your go to dessert. the only problem you run into, is for the individuals who don't like chocolate or white chocolate. however, i am definitely from the belief system that a dislike of chocolate of any variety is more there problem then yours. ;-)

i found this recipe one day on http://www.tastespotting.com ( LOVEEE that website), and the blog that it was posted from seems to be quite good too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of white chocolate -I used the nestle brand but I am sure that they are probably even better with the nicer quality Ghiradelli stuff

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter - If you use salted don't add any extra salt in the end, they will be way to salty.

3 Tbsp. heavy cream (I just used heavy whipping cream)

Pinch of salt

1 tsp. Lemon extract (I just used the juice of one lemon)

Powdered sugar, for rolling/dusting

1 lemon for zesting if you like* I did this and I think it definitely added a much more distinct lemon flavor to it

Directions
1) Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove top.

2) Melt the chocolate, butter and cream over the double boiler while stirring (make sure you use a glass bowl over the double boiler...I used a sturdy metal bowl) I recommend staying by the mixture during this process so you can be sure it won't burn.

3) Once melted you can remove from the heat and stir in the salt and extract.

4) Allow to cool a bit before covering it with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight works fine as well.

5) With a mellon baller or if you don't have one you can always use a spoon scoop ( I just used a real spoon...I dont have any of those other fancy things) out the mixture and form into balls (they don't have to be perfect) this can be a bit messy since the chocolate will start to melt and stick to your hands. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar and set a cookie sheet. Once your done you can put them in a cute bowl for presentation and zest some lemon over the top so everyone will know they have lemon flavor in them.

6) Store these covered in the fridge for up to a week or you can store these in the freezer for longer storage.

7) Enjoy and Share!

Notes: These were a big hit and although they are very rich and sweet, it is definitely worth the calorie splurge. Perfect as a small bite dessert with buds.
Adapted from: http://kellynbakes.blogspot.com/2010/05/white-chocolate-lemon-truffles.html