Lemon Bars

It’s a good thing citrus season falls in the middle of winter because right about now, I could use a little sunshine (and a good hit of Vitamin C). This recipe is extremely easy to make so if you need to put a little happy in your day, grab a bag of lemons and start baking.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 9x13 commercial cake pan https://amzn.to/3jpHFix

• citrus press https://amzn.to/40c5Z8p

• citrus juicer https://amzn.to/3DtGu8u

• pure vanilla extract (you deserve the good stuff) https://amzn.to/3wHFAS3

• non-melting confectioner’s sugar for humid climates https://amzn.to/40a73JT

• gluten-free flour https://amzn.to/3Jwrzyw

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Lemon Bars

makes one 9x13 cake pan

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust:

• 1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling:

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)

• 6 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish:

• confectioner’s sugar (or non-melting conf. sugar) for dusting

Directions

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position,

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the crust ingredients until no traces of dry ingredients remain.

3. Press dough evenly into bottom of uncoated 9x13 aluminum cake pan.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then remove from oven and reserve while you make the filling.

To make the filling:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour until no lumps remain.

2. Add the remaining filling ingredients and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour filling over prebaked crust and return to oven for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is set.

4. Allow to cool completely in pan (chill if desired) before serving.

To serve:

1. Just before serving, sprinkle with a layer of confectioner’s sugar, then cut and serve. In humid climates, consider non-melting confectioner’s sugar. Bars are best served the day they’re baked as the shortbread crust will become chewy after that.

2. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can safely be kept at room temperature, but chilling keeps the filling firm and easy to handle.

Notes

• This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using gluten-free flour instead of all purpose flour. Substitute equally.

• Serve these bars the same day they are baked. You can still eat them a few days later, but the crust will absorb moisture from the lemon filling and become chewy.

• Wait until the bars are completely cool before dusting with confectioner’s sugar. If you live in a humid climate, you might prefer dusting with non-melting confectioner’s sugar.

Italian Easter Bread

This is one of the most delicious Italian Easter Bread recipes you’ll ever have, and it’s straight from the old country. The dough is an absolute dream to work with. The recipe makes 6 of these festive twisted breads (or two large loaves) and I can’t imagine letting an Easter go by without them. Happy Baking!

I took photos of this recipe a year ago and didn’t post it because my camera’s sd card was partially corrupted, meaning I lost many of the process photos. Fast forward to just recently, I was going through my cell phone’s camera roll and, to my surprise, there were several photos from this recipe. I never use my phone to take pics when I’m shooting a recipe for this blog so how cool is that? Anyway, here you go, a mix of high quality camera and low quality phone pics. Not ideal, but enough that you should be able to follow the process of making this amazing Italian Easter Bread. Here’s how….

You’ll need 6 hard-cooked eggs that have been colored. The photos I took of this process were some of those that were corrupted, but here’s the aftermath. The process is simple, soak hard-cooked eggs in cups filled with warm water, a splash of white vinegar, and food coloring. Soak the eggs until the color you desire is achieved, the remove from the water and allow to dry on paper towels. I used gel food colors (like these). There are so many more colors to choose from (and they’re vibrant enough to color white and brown shelled eggs).

Personally, I like to use a variety of colored eggs, but some like just red, and others use uncolored eggs (white and/or brown). Heck, some people don’t use any eggs at all, but what fun is that?

I’m also a fan of decorating my easter bread with confectioner’s sugar icing and colored sprinkles, but some prefer no icing, just a sprinkling of nonpareils or pearl sugar. You do you!

More corrupted photos for the bread dough, but it’s pretty straight forward. You can make the dough with stand mixer or a hand mixer. It’ll need to rise for about an hour, covered, before shaping.

Then the dough is divided into 12 equal portions, Each portion will then be rolled into a 10-inch snake. Twist 2 snakes together before forming into a circle, pinching the ends together. Place on a silpat or parchment-lined half sheet pan and put an egg in the center of each. Repeat with the remaining dough until 6 breads are formed.

Cover with plastic that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray; allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Now’s a good time to preheat your oven.

After 45 minutes have passed, brush breads with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar or nonpareils sprinkles. If you plan to add icing, use the egg wash, but hold off on adding pearl sugar or nonpareil sprinkles.

Bake as directed in the recipe below. Allow breads to rest for several minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely (especially if you plan to ice them).

To make the optional icing, whisk the ingredients together until smooth (cover bowl with damp towel until ready to use).

Pour icing over breads when they’re completely cool. Add coordinating nonpareil sprinkles, if desired.

Happy Easter - Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pearl sugar https://amzn.to/3w5KOWp

• gel food colors https://amzn.to/3w58hqy

• the best pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• kitchen scale https://amzn.to/3uLRKd9

• nonpareil sprinkles https://amzn.to/3db824I

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Italian Easter Bread

makes 6 individual breads or 2 large loaves

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Easter Breads:

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk (300ml)

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (114g)

• 2 large eggs (100g)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or half pure almond extract)

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (5ml)

• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (1 packet/.25oz/7g)

• 4 cups all purpose flour, sifted (480g)

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, colored

• sprinkles and/or pearl sugar for decoration

Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon water

Optional Icing:

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or half as much pure almond extract)

Directions

1. Gently warm milk and butter together over medium heat until the milk is warm (not hot) and the butter is melted.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium- low speed for 30 seconds.

4. Slowly add the warm milk/butter mixture, followed by the yeast.

5. Add the flour/salt mixture, a little at a time, until all the flour is incorporated.

6. Turn the soft, sticky dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for several minutes until smooth.

7. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and allow to rise at room temperature until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).

8. Divide dough into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a 10-inch snake.

9. Twist 2 snakes together before forming into a circle, pinching the ends together; place on a silpat or parchment-lined half sheet pan and put an egg in the center of each. Repeat 5 more times.

10. Cover breads with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

11. Preheat oven to 350F.

12. Just before baking, make egg wash by whisking egg and water together; brush breads with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar or nonpareil sprinkles (omit sugar and sprinkles on the breads you plan to ice)..

13. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

14. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

15. For breads decorated with icing, whisk icing ingredients together until smooth, then pour oven completely cooled breads and sprinkle with nonpareil sprinkles. Allow icing to set before serving.

Notes

• Recipe makes 6 individual breads or two large braided loaves.

• Personally, I like to decorate my bread with a variety of colored eggs that I can accent with confectioner’s sugar icing and coordinating sprinkles. Some people use only red eggs, some use uncolored eggs (white and/or brown), and others choose not to use any eggs at all.

• To color my eggs, I prefer gel food colors because they’re very vibrant and there are so many colors to choose from.

• Be sure to use hard-cooked eggs as uncooked eggs may crack in the oven.

• Yes, you can eat the eggs after the bread is baked, but they’ll be very tough. We usually don’t eat them.

• Bread dough can be made with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment until all the flour is incorporated, then switch to the dough kneading hook.

• Large loaves can be braided instead of twisted - divide the dough for each loaf into 3 equal pieces, roll into 20-inch long strands, and braid them together. Form into a circle, pinch the ends together, and nestle 3 eggs per loaf into the braid before the 2nd rise.

recipe adapted from Nonna Gina Pettiti