LEMON SQUARE AMERICAN STYLE

LEMON SQUARES (recipe adapted from here)

You’ll need:

• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for coating the baking dish
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 5 medium lemons)
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• sliced strawberries (depends on how many you want to make!)

Method:

Heat the oven to 350°F and place muffin cups in pan.  Set aside. 

Place 1 cup of white flour and one cup of whole wheat flour, the powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and pulse briefly to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse until the dough just begins to come together, about 20 (1-second) pulses.

Using your thumb, press down enough crust to cover the bottom of each muffin cup with dough.  They should be slightly less than half full.  Bake until the crust is fully set and just starting to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling, at least 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

To make the filling, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of white flour, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the granulated sugar, and the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until well combined.

Using a tablespoon, pour the filling over each baked crust to the top of the muffin cups (careful not to spill over, they’ll stick!).  Place one blueberries or one slice of strawberry carefully in the center of each cup.  Return to the oven, and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

I made 48 mini-cupcakes, but I probably had enough for 60!  I used the rest to make a giant lemon square, which I’ve been slowly picking away at… whoops.

I definitely have enough for this weekend’s 4th of July celebration, though!  They look lovely and have a refreshing lemon taste… perfect for post-barbeque snacking.