This recipe is from the CSC (Christian Servicemen's Center, Guam) cookbook that my mother-in-law put together; the focus of the Center has changed, but the recipes live on.
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk, heated
2 tablespoons butter
1 (12 oz) jar creamy peanut butter
6 milk chocolate bars (such as Hersheys)
Beat together eggs and sugar. Add flour, vanilla, milk, and butter. Pour into greased 15X10X1 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While hot, spread with peanut butter. Lay chocolate bars on top to form a soft chocolaty frosting- do not spread. Cool completely, preferably overnight. Cut into bars. Yield, 18-20 servings.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Ultimate Lemon Bar
This recipe comes from Rose's Christmas Cookies
Shortbread Base
* 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
* 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method)
Lemon Curd Topping
* 4 large egg yolks
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 fluid ounces lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 1/2 large lemons)
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
* Pinch of salt
* 2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely grated)
* 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
EQUIPMENT:
8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch baking pan, preferably metal (if using a glass pan, lower the oven temperature 25°F.), bottom and 2 sides lined with an 8-inch by 16-inch strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
To make the crust:
Food Processor Method
Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, wrap it, and refrigerate.
In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for 1 minute or so, until the sugar is very fine. Add the butter and pulse in until the sugar disappears. Add the flour and pulse in until there are a lot of little moist crumbly pieces and no dry flour particles remain.
Dump the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together. Remove the dough from the plastic bag and knead it lightly, until it holds together.
Electric Mixer Method or by Hand
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. With your fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until incorporated. If using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.
For Both Methods
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Pat the dough into the prepared pan. Use a fork to prick the dough all over.
Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the top is pale golden (do not brown).
While the shortbread is baking, prepare the Lemon Curd Topping.
LEMON CURD TOPPING
Have a strainer, suspended over a bowl, ready near the range.
In a heavy noncorrodible saucepan, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes, until thickened and resembling hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats a wooden spoon but is still liquid enough to pour. (A candy thermometer will read 196°F.) The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of a wooden spoon. It must not be allowed to boil or it will curdle. (It will steam above 140°F. Whenever steaming occurs, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly to prevent boiling.)
When the curd has thickened, pour it at once into the strainer. Press it with the back of a spoon until only the coarse residue remains. Discard the residue. Stir in the lemon zest.
When the shortbread is baked, remove it from the oven, lower the temperature to 300°F., pour the lemon curd on top of the shortbread, and return it to the oven for 10 minutes.
Cool the lemon curd–topped shortbread completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes to set the lemon curd completely before cutting into bars. Place the powdered sugar in a strainer and tap the strainer with a spoon to sprinkle a thick, even coating, entirely covering the lemon.
Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the pastry on the 2 sides without the aluminum foil. Use the foil to lift out the lemon curd–covered shortbread onto a cutting surface. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the shortbread first in thirds, then in half the other way, and then each half in thirds. Wipe the blade after each cut.
The powdered sugar will start to be absorbed into the lemon curd after several hours, but it can be reapplied before serving.
Keeps:
3 days at room temperature, 3 weeks refrigerated (individually wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent drying), or 3 months frozen.
TIPS:
• If each lemon is heated about 10 seconds in a microwave oven on high power and rolled around while pressing on it lightly, it will release a significantly greater quantity of juice.
• An aluminum pan should not be used to prepare the lemon curd because it will react with the egg yolks, turning them chartreuse.
• Sugar raises the coagulation point of the egg yolk. It also protects it from premature coagulation during the addition of the lemon juice. If the juice were added directly to the unprotected yolk, the yolk would partially coagulate and, when strained, a large percentage of it would be left behind in the strainer. Be sure to mix the sugar well with the egg yolks before adding the juice.
Shortbread Base
* 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
* 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method)
Lemon Curd Topping
* 4 large egg yolks
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 fluid ounces lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 1/2 large lemons)
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
* Pinch of salt
* 2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely grated)
* 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
EQUIPMENT:
8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch baking pan, preferably metal (if using a glass pan, lower the oven temperature 25°F.), bottom and 2 sides lined with an 8-inch by 16-inch strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
To make the crust:
Food Processor Method
Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, wrap it, and refrigerate.
In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for 1 minute or so, until the sugar is very fine. Add the butter and pulse in until the sugar disappears. Add the flour and pulse in until there are a lot of little moist crumbly pieces and no dry flour particles remain.
Dump the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together. Remove the dough from the plastic bag and knead it lightly, until it holds together.
Electric Mixer Method or by Hand
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. With your fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until incorporated. If using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.
For Both Methods
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Pat the dough into the prepared pan. Use a fork to prick the dough all over.
Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the top is pale golden (do not brown).
While the shortbread is baking, prepare the Lemon Curd Topping.
LEMON CURD TOPPING
Have a strainer, suspended over a bowl, ready near the range.
In a heavy noncorrodible saucepan, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes, until thickened and resembling hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats a wooden spoon but is still liquid enough to pour. (A candy thermometer will read 196°F.) The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of a wooden spoon. It must not be allowed to boil or it will curdle. (It will steam above 140°F. Whenever steaming occurs, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly to prevent boiling.)
When the curd has thickened, pour it at once into the strainer. Press it with the back of a spoon until only the coarse residue remains. Discard the residue. Stir in the lemon zest.
When the shortbread is baked, remove it from the oven, lower the temperature to 300°F., pour the lemon curd on top of the shortbread, and return it to the oven for 10 minutes.
Cool the lemon curd–topped shortbread completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes to set the lemon curd completely before cutting into bars. Place the powdered sugar in a strainer and tap the strainer with a spoon to sprinkle a thick, even coating, entirely covering the lemon.
Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the pastry on the 2 sides without the aluminum foil. Use the foil to lift out the lemon curd–covered shortbread onto a cutting surface. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the shortbread first in thirds, then in half the other way, and then each half in thirds. Wipe the blade after each cut.
The powdered sugar will start to be absorbed into the lemon curd after several hours, but it can be reapplied before serving.
Keeps:
3 days at room temperature, 3 weeks refrigerated (individually wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent drying), or 3 months frozen.
TIPS:
• If each lemon is heated about 10 seconds in a microwave oven on high power and rolled around while pressing on it lightly, it will release a significantly greater quantity of juice.
• An aluminum pan should not be used to prepare the lemon curd because it will react with the egg yolks, turning them chartreuse.
• Sugar raises the coagulation point of the egg yolk. It also protects it from premature coagulation during the addition of the lemon juice. If the juice were added directly to the unprotected yolk, the yolk would partially coagulate and, when strained, a large percentage of it would be left behind in the strainer. Be sure to mix the sugar well with the egg yolks before adding the juice.
Chewy Butterscotch Brownies
2 1/2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (softened)
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 2/3 cups (11 oz package) butterscotch chips (divided)
Preheat oven to 350
Combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Beat butter, sugar & vanilla until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup of butterscotch chips. Spread batter into un-greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips
Bake for 30-40 minutes. cool in pan on wire rack.
this recipe adapted from Old Fashioned Cookies. Recipe book.
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (softened)
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 2/3 cups (11 oz package) butterscotch chips (divided)
Preheat oven to 350
Combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Beat butter, sugar & vanilla until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup of butterscotch chips. Spread batter into un-greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips
Bake for 30-40 minutes. cool in pan on wire rack.
this recipe adapted from Old Fashioned Cookies. Recipe book.
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