Lemon-Lime Bars with Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust

I have been a long-time lemon-meringue pie fan. I started with the Sherrif mix, which I still maintain is decent for food-from-a-box. One summer in high school, when the only people home were me, my stepfather and my oldest brother, I would make one of these every other night and eat one slice. When I woke up the next morning, most of the pie was gone - but I was happy to provide a nutritious breakfast! I made my first from-scratch lemon-meringue pie for thanksgiving many years ago (the one from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook is FANTASTIC) and I have not looked back.

Despite my love of the pie, I had never made lemon bars until I visited the aforementioned oldest brother in LA this past March (he remains a great lover of all things lemon). To my great joy (and extreme jealousy), I discovered not just a lemon tree in his backyard, but a meyer lemon tree! And so I made lemon bars. I based them off this recipe, though using a different crust with icing sugar rather than granulated sugar, as my first favourite shortbread recipe was icing-sugar based. I made them again with my precious smuggled bounty of meyer lemons for easter, and they were once again a big hit. This incarnation of the lemon bar comes about for my stepmother's art opening, coming up this Thursday. She is having some catered savoury snacks, but had not yet filled a sweets table. Since I had recently discovered the ability to cook and bake from the comfort of my counter height bar-stool (while recovering from a back injury), I volunteered to make a few things! I thought lemon bars would be just the thing, but figured I would try to use up an overabundance of limes I had lying around (seriously, Costco makes you *think* you need a bag that's half lemons and half limes, but don't believe it - unless you find a project like this you will only use the lemons... or be forced to make lots of lime-based drinks...)

So I did a bit of research to find out what, if anything, I should do differently for a lemon-lime bar. Turns out, not much. But I did find one with a brown sugar shortbread crust. I fell in love with brown sugar shortbread last year when we hosted a Steak, Scotch and Cigar dinner party, and my research indicated that shortbread goes well with scotch, or as well as any dessert goes with scotch anyway. The recipe for the brown sugar shortbread came from Food and Drink magazine (for those of you not from Ontario - an amazing, free magazine released by the LCBO - our government owned liquor stores). I adapted the crust recipe and the technique from the shortbread recipe (putting the brown sugar in the food processor - nobody wants gritty shortbread), and I think it turned out pretty damn fine.

A few tips, before I give you the recipe:

1. Microwave your limes for 5-10 seconds before juicing (and of course roll on the counter). As I was juicing the last two limes I couldn't for the life of me figure out why the hell my citrus-press wasn't working. Then I recalled that I wasn't sure I would need all the juice, so I hadn't microwaved them. It really made that big a difference.

2. Invest in a microplane-style zester. You can get very utilitarian ones at Lee Valley, but I prefer mine with a handle (I think mine is from William Sonoma, but you can get the same ones at Crate & Barrel and various other places).

Lemon-Lime bars with Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust

For the crust:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup softened butter (I used salted)

2 cups flour

For the filling:

5 large eggs at room temperature (original called for 4 extra-large, but large is what I had)

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 tbsp packed lemon/lime zest

3/4 cup lemon/lime juice (I didn't keep track of exact ratios, but I used 3 lemons & 4 limes both for the zest and juice. This recipe is also amazing with just lemons, and perhaps even better with meyer lemons. Use whatever you have on hand!)

3/4 cup flour

icing sugar for dusting

Step 1: Take eggs out of fridge (luckily this time I remembered, but the first time I made this I forgot and everything had to sit and wait while the eggs warmed up!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 x 2" pan with parchment paper (parchment paper is one of my favourite things).

Make crust: put brown sugar in food processor and process for about 1 minute until the sugar has a finer texture. Add butter and process until well-blended. Add flour and process until uniformly crumbly. Press into bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until beginning to brown. My crust looked a bit cracked and I was worried it would fall apart, though hoping the filling would hold it together - so far so good!

While crust is baking, make filling. Beat eggs lightly to break up yolks. Add lemon/lime juice and sugar and whisk together. Sift or sprinkle flour over top while whisking together. Alternatively, just throw everything in a bowl and mix it well with an electric mixer (I recommend this - I was too lazy to sift/sprinkle the flour and mine ended up lumpy when I just used a whisk. My handheld electric mixer solved the problem easily).

Pour filling over crust and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or for an additional five minutes after the filling has stopped jiggling when you shake the pan.

Will update tomorrow or Friday with pictures of the finished product!

Post with pictures coming soon!

First, a few warnings about my photography.

1. I'm not very good at it. I don't know very much about lighting, arrangement, etc. Perhaps I'll spend some time doing research, perhaps I'll just learn as I go.

2. I'm just using a point and shoot - it's a very nice point and shoot, but still just a point and shoot. Perhaps if I continue doing this, V will let me use his old digital SLR... as long as I promise not to get food on it...

3. I very rarely cook during the day (pancakes excepted), so mostly the pictures will be with artificial lighting, and thus of an even poorer quality.

4. I'm a notoriously messy cook. I prefer to just get the job done and worry about clean-up afterward, so I apologize in advance for bits of clutter that find their way into the pictures.

Any advice for improving the quality of my food photography is more than welcome!

Not Pancakes... yet

If you've met me, you probably know I am a stickler for from-scratch pancakes with real maple syrup (you'd be surprised how often that comes up). In all my thoughts of starting a blog about food, I always figured the first post I would make would be my current pancake recipe. But... then I was inspired by my leeking (no, not leaking) adventures, and figured the first post should have something to do with that.

I must insert a caveat, here. I don't generally measure when I cook. If I say something like 'a handful' then use one handful, or use two. It probably means it doesn't matter. If you like something a whole lot, add extra. If you're not a fan, leave it out altogether. Except for the leeks. Maybe I'll try to be better about measuring in the future.

I threw this stew together on Monday night. I didn't think I would be feeling up for cooking, but my back decided to let up a bit and I had all those leeks just sitting in the fridge! I defrosted a couple chicken thighs, and then just made this based on what else I had in the fridge.

Chicken, Leek and Barley Stew

5-6 chicken thighs, cut into one inch pieces

2-3 handfuls of wild leek bulbs, roughly chopped (probably the equivalent of the white and light green parts of two regular leeks)

about 1/2 cup of pearl barley

5-6 cups of chicken broth

2-3 carrots, chopped

1-2 stalks of celery, chopped

2-3 potatoes, chopped

5-6 mushrooms, chopped

whatever other vegetables you happen to have around

Rosemary, thyme, whatever other spices you fancy.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add approx 1 tbsp of your preferred cooking oil. Add leeks and saute until beginning to soften. Add 1-2 tsp each of rosemary & thyme (or other herbs/spices depending on your mood that day). Add chicken thighs and brown all over. Add pearl barley and continue sauteing for a minute or two, then pour in chicken broth to cover well. Bring to a boil, then simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Add carrots, celery and potatoes and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Add mushrooms, and any other vegetables that need less cooking and continue simmering until all vegetables and the barley are all soft, adding more water or if necessary. Serve with crusty bread!

I apologize for the lack of pictures. Now that I have started this, I'll try to be better about capturing before devouring.

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Welcome to The Wild Leek. I am addicted to recipes, food blogs, food magazines... and sometimes I even cook!