Every recipe has a story, and the important one here is not how it came to my family (a tale that involves a bassoon and m&ms among other characters), but how it changed me.
This was the first recipe I ever made, and it has all of the elements that conspire to get a little kid excited about cooking and baking. First, it’s sweet but lemony, so you know it’s going to be tasty. Second, it involves getting your hands dirty (which may not be fun for the adult who has to clean up after a messy child has left greasy fingerprints all over the kitchen, but is certainly fun for the kid). Third, it’s easy. Lastly, it’s a crowd pleaser, so you get that kind of “ooh, ahh, yum” feedback that makes you want to go back into the kitchen to make it again.
Oh, and they freeze beautifully, and are best eaten straight out of the freezer, so they’re a great thing to make on a rainy day and keep on hand in case of company (or, more likely, in case of sudden lemon square cravings).
Clearly, my mom knew what she was doing on that fateful day when she said to me “Josh, honey, if you want lemon squares, I need you to help me make the crust.”
What you need:
Crust
2 sticks butter
2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c powdered sugar
Filling
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 c all purpose flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c lemon juice
Powdered sugar for top
Preheat oven to 350F.
For crust: Melt the butter, mix in the flour and powdered sugar until it’s all combined into a dough. Pack the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan and bake 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
For filling: Mix together the sugar, baking powder, and flour. Add in the eggs and lemon juice. Stir until well mixed.
When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the filling on top and pop back into the oven for another 15-25 minutes, until the top starts to brown. Let it cool, and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
You can eat them warm, but if you’re patient, I recommend sticking them in the freezer (separating layers with wax paper) and waiting until they’re frozen. They taste best straight from the freezer (although they lose some of the powdered sugar when they freeze).
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Crying Onions 
This is one of the few cookies that tastes bad warm but delicious cold. When serving them to company, I recommend plating them, then putting in the frig. You may need to resprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
Comment by Karen July 23, 2009 @ 8:16 pmThese look yummy! I am going to have to try them. I never thought of freezing lemon squares before. That does sound tasty. I usually am impatient and eat them warm. 🙂 I’m glad you’ve started this blog! I can’t wait to make some of these when I make dinners at school next semester.
Comment by Betsy July 24, 2009 @ 2:28 pm