Lemon-Lime Bars

Recipe challenge, week thirty-one.

I thought Scott coming home would make me want to cook more.  It's actually made me want to cook less.  I'm back on the menu planning train, but I don't really feel particularly creative these days.  I just feel drained in general.  I blame the heat. And the fact that I'm back in a construction zone.  The inside of the house isn't torn apart like it was last summer, but there's work being done, especially outside, so that leads to general messiness (The lesson I've learned is that things always have to get worse before they get better, concerning remodeling).

So this is another flashback recipe, but it is 110% worth sharing again.

Circa 2011

Last week, we went to a friend's house and I took dessert.  I didn't really have to but it seemed like the nice thing to do and, if we all recall, that's what old Kristin (pre-Colorado Kristin) would do.  When I was contemplating what to make, I just started going through my Recipe Index.  I found these Lemon-Lime Bars from way back in 2011.

I really like lemon bars, but I like them to be extra tangy.  I've found that the way to accomplish this is to add lime.  You can add coconut to the crust and the top if you like, but I didn't this time because I didn't know about any potential allergies.

A 17 year old pronounced them to be really good, so that probably means they're really good.

I knew I'd start "cheating" on this recipe challenge sooner or later, but oh well.  I'm busy. I've been building a shed.

Scott's helping.

Lemon Cake Pops

Yesterday, I had a fun, crafty get-together with some friends.  We made these letters with our last initial.  It was very similar to the wreaths I was putting together last year (Which I'm planning on doing again this fall..which reminds me...anyone want to order a wreath? Custom-made!).  

Anyway.  What a great group of wives!  I'm so grateful to have found such a community here..and it seems like I meet someone new everyday.  It's a nice change of pace from the last year or so..when all my friends PCSed before we did. 

I made some cake pops to take along. I even went all out and used sticks.  In two years of making cake pops (i.e. cake balls), I've never used sticks.  There's a first time for everything.  

Lemon Cake Pops
makes approximately 4 dozen

1 Lemon Cake (from a mix), baked and cooled
1 can vanilla or cream cheese frosting
White candy melts
Sprinkles, for decorating 
Lollipop sticks (found in the cake decorating section of Wal-Mart)

After baking your cake according to the package directions, allow to cool completely.
In a large pan, crumble the cake and mix in the frosting (I also added a teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest.) You will have one big sticky mess. 

Refrigerate for a few hours so the mixture will firm up and be easier to roll. (You can skip this step if you're in a time crunch.)

Roll into 1-inch balls and place in a covered pan in the refrigerator or freezer for a few hours or over night.

 Melt the candy melts in the microwave.  Do this at 30 second intervals, stirring in between.  It usually take a minute or two.  Put a stick into each cake ball, and then dip in the candy melts.  I thought the yellow was pretty so I didn't cover it the whole way.  Add the sprinkles immediately. Allow to dry/cool on wax paper.  I like to store them in the fridge or freezer because I think they taste better cold.

Lemon Chess Pie

#1 I'm sharing some Thanksgiving ideas for the non-pumpkin-pie lovers at Scissors and a Whisk today.  Thanks for having me, Sarah!

#2  I decided I wanted to lighten things up a bit around here and the lovely Jenn at Munchkinland Designs was sweet enough to switch out the fuchsia in my background (I'd recommend her to anyone.)

I love me some fuchsia anything, but I like the new, cleaner look.

And now.  Pie.

I mentioned that I always make pecan pie for Thanksgiving.  And Christmas.  And, honestlyifIcouldgetawaywithit, Easter.

This Lemon Pie is my Thanksgiving pie this year.  I practiced it about a week ago.

Three years ago, my mom bought me a subscription to Rachael Ray magazine.  And for 2 1/2 years I've gotten the notices in the mail that the subscription is "...about to expire! Last chance!".  

That magazine keeps on comin' though.  And while I can't, in good conscience, make many of Rachael's recipes that are published in that magazine (because they are ridiculous), I always thumb through it and see if there's anything good.

I saw this Lemon Chess Pie and I had to make it.  It did not disappoint and if I could pull this off, you can too.  It was just as easy as pecan pie.  Whisk all the ingredients together and pour into a pie shell.  

My mom loves lemon anything so I'd make this for her birthday in two weeks if I could.  I think I'll send her a more portable treat...as this may not travel well.  

Lemon Chess Pie is supposed to have a whipped cream/coconut topping (the "chess" part, I'm guessing?), but I didn't feel like it.  I mean, I had the whipping cream (but not the coconut) and we're trying to eat healthier around here.

I'll probably use that whipping cream to make ice cream or something.  Much healthier.

Lemon Chess Pie

makes one 9-inch pie 
Adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

1 t. vanilla

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. cornmeal 

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

5 T. butter, melted

1/4 t. salt

2 T. heavy cream (or the whole pint if you want to make your own whipped cream)

1 unbaked pie crust

Pre-heat the oven to 375* and make sure the oven rack is on the lower third of the oven.

Place your pie crust into your 9-inch pie pan (I used stoneware).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, cornmeal, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and 2 T. cream.

Once it is all very well combined, pour into the unbaked pie shell.  

I cover the edges with a pie crust shield to prevent over-browning for the entire baking time.

Bake at 375* for 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Mine baked for exactly 40 minutes, the toothpick wasn't quite clean, but it was still bubbling away in the stoneware once it was out of the oven.  It set up nicely, I thought.

Yolo Monday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday