Whole Lemon Bars

Not another lemon bar recipe! But yes, and I hope you'll give it a try. This is the second citrus recipe I've made recently that included the rind in the ingredients. (Please use organic citrus; wash it well.) These bars were originally a David Lebovitz recipe; Pastry Studio made some adaptations and commented on her pleasure of the pucker quality of these bars, especially when you're used to the old fashioned (and quite sweet) lemon bars. I liked them too, pucker and all, and found the slight texture in them interesting as well. You can use either crust...I included both Pastry Studio's almond crust, which I used here, and the Lebovitz crust which is what you're more accustomed to seeing.
These are definitely not your generic lemon bars!


Whole Lemon Bars

From :Pastry Studio, adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients for the crust:
(David's Crust)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

(Pastry Studio's Almond Crust, used in this recipe)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup  toasted sliced almonds
3 tablespoons sugar 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
4 oz (8 tablespoons) cold butter cut into 1/2" pieces
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Ingredients for the filling:
1 large or 2 small - medium lemons (6 oz)
1 cup  sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon  cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 oz (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

powdered sugar, for dusting

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8" square pan and line with parchment with a slight overhang on two sides.

For David's pastry crust:, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt until combined.  Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir with a fork just until smooth.  Press into the bottom of the pan, distributing the dough as evenly as possible.
For :pastry studio's crust: put flour, almonds, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine.  Add the cold butter (cut into 1/2" pieces) and pulse just until the mixture looks like coarse meal.  Add egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and process until the dough just starts to clump.  Press evenly into prepared pan.

Bake the crust until it's golden brown, about 25 minutes. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degree F. 

For the filling
Cut the lemon/lemons in half and remove the seeds.  Cut the lemon into smaller chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender along with the sugar and lemon juice.  Process until the lemon is finely chopped.  Add the eggs, cornstarch, salt and melted butter and blend until almost smooth.

Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust and bake for 25 minutes or just until the filling stops jiggling and is barely set.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. 


Carefully lift and remove the cooled pastry from the pan using the parchment overhang to assist.  Cut the bars into squares or rectangles and sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving.

Ina's Leek and Mushroom Bread Pudding

We served this dish over the holidays, but it certainly doesn't need to be limited to that time of year. It would be marvelous with chicken, pork chops or just about anything. Very rich but utterly delicious, which describes Ina's recipes in general, don't you agree?
I've been making a mushroom bread pudding for years (my dad's favorite) and while they appear similar on the plate, the flavor of Ina's recipe beats my old recipe by a mile.

Ina's Leek and Mushroom Bread Pudding

From Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

6 cups (1/2-inch-diced) bread cubes from a rustic country loaf, crusts removed

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces pancetta, small-diced

4 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts (4 leeks)

1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and 1/4-inch-sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1/4 cup medium or dry sherry

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 extra-large eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (6 ounces), divided

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to brown. Stir in the leeks and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the leeks are tender. Stir in the mushrooms, tarragon, sherry, 1 tablespoon salt and 11/2 teaspoons pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the parsley.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chicken stock and 1 cup of the Gruyere. Add the bread cubes and mushroom mixture, stirring well to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Stir well and pour into a 2 1/2-to-3-quart gratin dish (13 x 9 x 2 inches). Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyere and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is browned and the custard is set. Serve hot.

Sylvie's Strawberry Tango

My book group meets each month in someone's home and it includes lunch. We take turns at either hostessing or reviewing, so it's not a burden on any one person and the hostesses have fun trying new recipes.
In the fall, we met at Sylvie's new home. After we oohed and aahed at everything we loved about her home, we sat down at a beautifully set and flowered table to enjoy a delicious and hearty squash soup. Then we were served fresh fruit with a divine topping. 

Now I've traditionally topped our fruit at Christmas brunch with Ina's lemon curd and limoncello topping, but Sylvie knocked me out with this one and I suspected there was a touch of amaretto in it as well. Yum. So I got the recipe and made it for our family's Christmas brunch in place of Ina's old recipe.
Needless to say, everyone was wowed. It's kind of reminiscent of my MIL's old strawberries Romanoff recipe. In return, Sylvie asked for Ina's recipe and, noting Ina used yogurt instead of sour cream, said she was going to replace the sour cream in her own recipe with yogurt. Have not heard if she's tried Ina's recipe, but I can say unequivocally that we loved HER recipe. 
Isn't it funny how sometimes the simplest of recipes makes all the difference in a meal?

Sylvie's Strawberry Tango

Ingredients:
1  1/2 cups sour cream
1    cup light  brown sugar 
1/2 cup amaretto

Method:
Combine all 3 ingredients and voilà.
Serve over strawberries or a mixture of other fruits.