Sunday, June 27, 2010

Best Ever Lemon Bars

This morning, while I was getting ready for church, I thought I'd save a little on our AC bill and dry my hair in front of a small fan. I was in my silky bathrobe and my hair was billowing in the cool breeze, and I couldn't help but think that this was the life-when suddenly, I felt my head lurch backwards and suck my hair into the fan. Instinctively, I grabbed onto my hair and tugged back. The fan and I were engaged in a battle-vanity versus electricity. I yelled to Sailor to come and unplug the fan. (I would never have called for West or I'd still be yelling now.) Then I did a clumsy about-face, picked up the fan clogged with my tangled hair, dragged the cord and my pride to the bathroom, and waited for the Quiet Man to finish showering and rescue me. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and all I could think was Cousin It. But it could get worse....Would I need to get a short haircut, like Anne of Green Gables when she dyed her hair green, or like Jo March when she sold her locks to buy a train ticket for Marmy? The Quiet Man, in just a towel, patiently and gently battled my enemy fan, releasing most of the frizzy mess. The fan surrendered and then held stubbornly tight, refusing to give up one last lock. Quiet Man reached inside the screen with a pair of long, shiny scissors and snipped the last prisoner-tress, and then I was free. Phew. Thank you, kind sir. I'm the antithesis of Rapunzel, but the Quiet Man is still my knight with shining scissors.
I know just to help me forget my close shave with disaster: Best Ever Lemon Bars. This recipe, like so many of my favorites, hails from Ina Garten. These really are the Best lemon bars, not too sweet, not too tart, and just the right soft consistency. Their yellow color is so sunny, cheery, and bright, making them perfect for a summer dessert. (Or a summer pick me up after an almost accidental haircut. Gulp.)
Post Edit: The missing piece of hair is , as it turns out, not missed. I can't even find the spot anymore.
Best Ever Lemon Bars
Estimated Cost:
$6.00 for 24 servings
Notes: Get a big bag of lemons for the best deal-then use the extras to make homemade lemonade. Don't even bother with a half batch of these bars. Make the whole darn thing, cut them up, and take some to a neighbor.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured 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.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
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.
Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
Next Up:
Recipes for the Fourth of Joo-lye

16 comments:

  1. Thank goodness for your Hero! Sorry about your pretty hair. I do hope it is something that you can cover up.
    Lemon bars are one of my favorites.

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  2. What an amusing, yet unfortunate story!! Wow. I've never heard of that happening to anyone. I'm sure the lemon bars made everything better, though. They look fantastic.

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  3. I thought that recipe looked familiar. These are the best lemon bars ever. We have been making these for years and always have people ask for the recipe. They have the perfect about of custard to crust ratio. These are the best!

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  4. Oh no! What a rude awakening to what sounded like a delightful Sunday morning! Glad your hair is okay. Unfortunatly, I've had that same thing happen. :-/

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  5. it looks like you made your 'lemonade'
    out of the hair disaster! :)

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  6. I'm glad the Quiet Man was able to save the day and your hair. What a morning. And the moral of the story is . . . don't try to save money. Haha. The lemon bars look delicious.

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  7. oh no! how much did he have to cut off to free you? that must have hurt.
    i have yet to make lemon bars this spring/summer season. bad i know.

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  8. Oh Prudy you gave me my laugh of the day! If you do have a bald spot you can always wear a hat... Dont feel so bad I was drying by hair with a blow dryer and it turned out it was backwards and sucked up abit of hair. Lemon Bars are Moms favorite I will have to make it for her one day:)

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  9. Oh Honey - Glad you're okay. They showed a little girl on the Jackson, MS news here the other day.

    She leaned over to watch her mom making something in the mixer and it snatched her in. Poor kid had a huge bald spot.

    Glad you're okay. The lemon bars look fantastic.

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  10. Are we always trying to save time, multi task, and do things more efficiently? I have used a fan too many times, especially in summer when I'm sweating to death trying to get my hair dry.
    I learned the hard way to face the fan. You can pull your hair forward and let it dry it that way, but every time I've turned my back to the fan it catches my hair.
    Thank goodness Sailor unplugged it for you.
    If you take your blow dryer and plug it in outside in the St. George heat it only takes about 6 minutes to dry your hair. Try that. I used to do that at the condo.
    Also...I love lemon bars. I can't take a big bite of them, but I will nibble on them, and I do think they're good.
    We'll have to try this recipe. Holly would love it.

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  11. I had a similar experience with one of those small hair dryers they have in hotels. Thankfully my hubby was there to save me, too!

    Those lemon bars look divine. I love lemon bars & am always on the lookout for a 'better' recipe... think I just found it!

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  12. What a funny story. Glad it turned out okay. The lemon bars look delicious.

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  13. Noooooo! Oh Erin, I am so sorry for laughing! And those bars look amazing!

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  14. Love love love lemon bars but I am a poor baker. Please send some :)

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  15. Giggling uncontrollably at your unfortunate situation. I must have missed this post in my rush to get out the door for our roadtrip. How blessed you are to have the kind of hair that will hide a chopped-short tress so well!:)

    These look divine. I know I always say that, but, really! I need to get some lemons and make this for a baby shower I'm hosting on Saturday. Sounds way better than bundt cake!

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