Monday, August 20, 2007

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

I must admit that I have a sweet tooth when it comes to all those yummy backed goods from the US. The reason for my penchant for all those specialities is due to the uniqueness of their recipes and for their utter decadentness!

To fulfill my cravings, I have bought a book that has become my cookie/pastry bible and which is being seriously used on a regular basis. I'm talking about Tish Boyle's masterpiece titled "The Good Cookie" which contains many (more than 250) incredible and full-proof recipes for all those who suffer from a baking addiction!!! A real source of inspiration...

For a citrus fruit amateur like me, those "Luscious Lemon Bars" are some of the best lemon desserts/treats I've eaten so far. They are ever so freakishly mouth-puckering, tart, moist and creamy. The topping is scrumptuously sour, yet very sweet, deliciously lemony and the shortbread base is wonderfully tender, buttery and gingery as well as caramelly flavored (thanks to the brown sugar): perfectly well-balanced. This treat is unforgettable, incredibly succulent and moreish to please. Once you take a bite from this delicacy, you won't be able to stop running after the box in order to get another fix...

Tish Boyle's bars are like a drug. Very tempting and totally addictive!


~ Luscious Lemon Bars ~
Recipe by Tish Boyle ("The Good Cookie") and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Ingredients for the brown sugar ginger crust:

1 1/4 Cup (160g) Plain white flour
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup (125g) Unsalted butter

1/2 Cup (120g) Firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 Tsp Ground ginger

1
/8 Tsp Ground cinnamon
Ingredients for the lemon topping:
1/2 Cup (64g) Plain white flour
1/6 Tsp Salt
5 Eggs (~53g)
2 3/4 Cups (578g) Castor sugar

1 Cup Freshly squeezed lemon juice (~4 large lemons)
2 Tsps Finely grated lemon zest
Confectioner's sugar for dusting


Method for the crust:
1. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 180° C (350° F).
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 22 x 33 centimeter (9 by 13-inch) baking pan.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flour ground ginger, ground coriander and salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, be
at the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute.
5. At low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until crumbly.
6. Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
7. Prick the dough well with a fork.
8. Bake the crust for 16 to 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool (completely) while you prepare the topping.
Method for the lemon topping:
10. In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside.

11. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth.
12. Add the lemon juice an zest. Whisk until blended.
13. Whisk in the flour mixture until combined.
14. Pour the topping over the crust.
15. Bake the bars for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set and
lightly browned in spots.
16. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
17. Cut the bars into 18 rectangles.

Remarks:

Instead of adding 1 teaspoon ground ginger to the crust, you can r
eplace it by 2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger that will be added with the flour mixture in step 5.
The spices for the crust can be left out if you want a neutral-tasting dough.
Use only biological lemons for the topping.
Dont overbake the bars otherwise the topping will not be cream
y anymore.
Those bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refriger
ator for up to 5 days.

Serving suggestions:
Just before serving, dust the tops of the bars with confectioner's sugar and add a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.
Eat at any time of the day if you still have some left after the first round!...

48 comments:

  1. Ces barres ont effectivement l'air délicieuses. Les photos sont très parlantes...
    Je note ta recette!

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  2. Je n'ai jamais mangé de lemon bar, mais ça me tente bien !

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  3. Incroyablement scandaleuses, ces barres au citron ;)
    Merci pour cette recette!!

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  4. I think I have to make them after reading your post! But unfortunately I'm cutting back on eating sweet stuff...I'm afraid I'll eat the whole batch when I make them ;)

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  5. je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir compris tous les adjectifs en anglais, mais ils sont mystérieusement tentants !!! Je retiens "addict", et je garde précieusement cette idée grignotte pour un jour de carence en citron/gingembre :)
    merci Rosa :)

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  6. ROsa, ton livre recelle une véritable mine d'or de gourmandise à ce que je vois et cette barre citronné me fait très envie...

    Bon lundi!

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  7. ces gâteaux avec leur crème citronnée,c'est inoutenable!

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  8. Tu en parles si bien, comment resister?

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  9. Ces merveilles avaient la cote dans les années 70. On comprend pourquoi. Et les tiennes sont splendides. Elles resplendissent littéralement.

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  10. Impossible de résister !!! Bravo !

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  11. It'délicioussssssssssssssss
    I whant!!
    Smile
    Kiss by flowers-orange

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  12. on cuisine dans le citron aujourd'hui!!! riiire!! ce qu'il est beau et tentant ce gateau!! biiiises micky

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  13. How could you have guessed?
    The most beautiful memories I have of the South of France and the North of Italy, are walking under fragrant lemon trees!
    Now, I'm hoping new dreams of swimming in that wave of lemon filling you've topped those great bars with!

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  14. Extraordinaire! j'adore tout ce qui est au citron.
    Merci Rosa

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  15. magnifique!!! il a l'air tout fondant, tout moelleux.... quel bonheur!

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  16. Hummmm!!! J'en bave!

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  17. Your lemon bar looks perfect, Rosa.

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  18. Oh my gosh, they look so good and gooey! YUM!

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  19. Incroyablement tentant!!!!! it looks so delicioussssssssssssss

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  20. c'est honteux de présenter ce gâteau, dèjà tellement tentant de par ces ingrédients, avec des photos aussi parlantes: à peine levée et me voilà avec l'estomac qui hurle! comment je le calme moi maintenant?

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  21. La crème citronnée est démente !

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  22. coucou,
    je ne suis pas très citron,...mais ta tarte a l'air sublime!!

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  23. Juste un mot : J'adore

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  24. Ce gâteau est délicieux et tes photos sont superbes !!!
    Bizzz, Alexie

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  25. Ça a l'air tellement bon que c'en est indécent! ;-D

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  26. Tu es vraiment sans pitié, ces barres sont démentes, un vrai pêché de gourmandise !

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  27. oh, my good it looks soooo delicious!

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  28. Ce gâteau avec cette crème au citron, c'est une véritable tuerie !
    Bisous, Doria

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  29. Comment on dit, déjà, dans la blogosphère ??? .... Une tuerie ? Oui, c'est vraiment ça ... une tuerie ! ;o)
    Bises
    Hélène

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  30. Tes gâteaux qui me font saliver ont souvent me semble-t-il un "Look" anglo-saxon? aurais-tu un livre de pâtisseries américaines à me conseiller ? Merci

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  31. Han ... Tu me fais saliver !!

    Merveilleuses photos ;)

    Bises,

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  32. i need a help for the translation because i want to try this recette qui a l'air more than delicious anne

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  33. love any lemon cake/ bars.
    i've just tagged you for a 4x4 meme. hope you don't mind. if you have alredy done (or don't feel like it) no worries :)

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  34. Ces barres ont l'air incroyables! Fondantes à souhait et juste à tomber! Je suis aussi fan de citron, faudra que je les teste!
    Sab

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  35. wow elles sont si appétisantes, j'adore le citron!

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  36. I love lemon bars and those are great! Nice photography as well!

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  37. Moi qui aime tout ce qui est citron, je me pourlèche déjà les babines, rien que d'y penser!

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  38. Je vais traduire ta recette car je suis sous le choc devant mon écran, il me la faut !!!!

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  39. Oh mon dieu, Rosa ! Mon coeur s'est arrêté de battre 1/4 de seconde en voyant cette merveille... Et là, j'ai encore la bouche ouverte et les yeux qui brillent :) Tout ça pour dire que je te vole cette recette !

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  40. I dont understand why I don't like this treat whereas I ALWAYS find it very appealing! Especially by looking at your totally indecent pictures!

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  41. mmm ca ma l'air so délicieux!!!

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  42. Oh là làààà elles ont l'air parfaites tes petites barres ! La texture semble exquise ! Miam !

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  43. avoue que tu fais exprès de nous faire enrager
    shame on you sweet girl :-)

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  44. ça c'est somptueux et vaient une tuerie comme disent certaines !! je prends aussi les légumes, les pâtes et les photos, du bonheur sur ton blog en ce moment !!

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  45. Oh my, this couldn't look more decadent!! I love lemon bars and I don't think I have seen a more delicious looking one!

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  46. C'est fou de publier de telles photos!
    Moi qui adore les desserts au citron je vais en rêver la nuit! (et demander à mon mari de me traduire cette recette au plus top!)

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  47. I love Lemon Bars so much !!
    We don't have now yellow lemons now (only the greens without any juice..)So , I'll wait to the winter to bake these (I like the ginger in the crust too)
    Thank you :-)

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