Skeptickle

The first time I made lemon squares was right after high school when I lived for awhile in Berkeley. Our neighbor had a lemon tree that grew over the fence until it hung over the yard of my apartment building. I would take a couple lemons to make lemon squares using the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. To this day, I still use a variation of that recipe to make lemon squares. I’ve once tried to make lemon squares from a box, and let me tell you, it tasted absolutely gross and fake to me. The lesson from that is: always use fresh lemons! My family now lives in a house that has a lemon tree in the backyard and it’s been producing lemons like crazy. Sometimes they send me home with a huge paper bag full of them just so they don’t go to waste. To say the least, I’ve been trying to incorporate lemons into a lot of the dishes I make. However, I always come back to this classic recipe. Enjoy!

Photo from marthastewart.com

Note: This recipe is doubled to make thicker bars, which is what I like personally. If you like thinner ones then halve the amount of each ingredient and reduce the amount of cooking time to 35 minutes (15 mins for crust, 20 mins for crust & filling) at 350℉.

Lemons Bars (adapted from the BH&G New Cookbook)

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325℉. In a large bowl, beat softened butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar; beat until combined. Mix in the 2 cups flour until crumbly. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 7 x 11 inch baking pan (you can also use a 9 x9 inch pan). Bake for about 18-20 mins or until golden.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and baking powder. Beat 2 minutes or until combined.

Pour filling over baked crust. Continue baking 35-40 minutes or until the center is set (test by jiggling the pan a little and/or inserting a toothpick into the center). Cool for about an hour. Sift powdered sugar over the top and cut into squares or bars to your desire.

Picture from Andrea of Andrea'sRecipes on Flickr

I made this soup last night when we had a friend over to watch the season finale of Lost. It’s one of my favorite recipes because it’s versatile, easy to make, and absolutely delish! It’s really a conglomeration of different tortilla soup recipes I found around the internets and suited to fit my tastes (aka spicy!). Let me know what you think! 

**Warning: this soup is very spicy! To make a milder version, reduce or omit the smoked paprika and/or jalapeno peppers.**

Key:

T= Tablespoon

t= teaspoon

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, cut into 1″ cubes
• 1/2 T cumin*
• 1 T coriander*
• 1/2 t smoked paprika*
• 1 bay leaf
• 5-6 sprigs of thyme*
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup corn
• 2 fire-roasted red bell peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup canned jalapeno, diced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 (15oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
• 2 qt chicken stock
• S&P*

*or substitute with 5 T poultry seasoning 

You can also add carrots, celery, okra, bacon, or black beans to make a heartier soup. 

Topping suggestions:

• lime juice
• diced avocado or guacamole
• shredded cheese (pepper jack or cheddar are best)
• chopped cilantro 
• scallions
• sour cream
• crushed tortilla chips (of course!)

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or soup pot on medium heat. Sauté the onions until translucent and toss in chicken pieces and all herbs and spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, thyme, bay leaf, and S&P). Stir occasionally so the chicken cooks evenly. When chicken is browned evenly on all sides, pour in the chicken stock and turn heat to high. When soup reaches a boil, throw in the rest of the ingredients (bell peppers, jalapeno, tomato paste, tomatoes). Stir to dissolve tomato paste. Bring temperature down to medium heat and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Pour into separate bowls when ready and add desired toppings. Serve with some cornbread. Enjoy!

Apple pies always remind me of summer and I definitely need some reminding on this cool and overcast day. This was my first attempt at baking apple pie and I’m delighted that it turned out so well. The process was much easier than I thought so I wanted to share the recipe I used.

Gourmet Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 9-inch pie pan (I used nonstick)
• 2 10-inch layers of pie crust, either homemade or store bought.
• About 2 1/2 lbs of tart and sturdy apples like Granny Smiths (I used Braeburns)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• 1-2 tablespoons chilled butter
• sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425℉. Prepare bottom crust in pie pan. Peel, cut and core apples. Toss apples with sugars, flour, spices, salt, vanilla, and milk or cream. Fill bottom crust with this mixture. Cut the butter into small squares and place pieces evenly over the apple mixture. Place the top crust over apples and pinch the edges of the crusts together tightly*.  Brush the top of the crust with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar. Make a few slits on the crust to help steam escape. 

Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 and continue to bake for 50-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let pie cool for 45 minutes before serving. 

*As you can see in the pictures, I failed to crimp the two crusts together very well and it resulted in the filling bubbling out from in between. 

I hope that you enjoy this recipe!