Luscious Fresh Lemon Bars

When you get the chance to pick ripe lemons off a tree this is the recipe for you.  Really it can happen.  In Tuscon, Arizona at the KOA you can camp and pick a bag of lemons off the tree beside you.  Our friends met us for lunch the other day with a big bag of ripe fresh picked lemons.  Oooohhh, my mouth is puckering now.
I stole this recipe from a cookbook that I found in a lending library.  Cookbook is called "Gramdma's Favorites".   Yes this is one of my new favourites.   The lemon layer is like a custard, gooey and good.

Crust
1/2 cup very soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
grated lemon peel from 1 lemon
Lemon Layer
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
grated peel of 1 lemon
juice of 1 to 2 fresh lemons - need at least 6 tablespoons
1 teaspoon vanilla
confectioners sugar to dust before serving

Make the crust in a baking tin 13 x 9 x 2.  I used a foil pan and it worked great.
To save washing a bowl I put the ingredients all together into the baking pan and worked it together with a fork.  When evenly mixed I used a spatula to pat it down.
Bake this crust at 350F for 15 minutes.

In meantime make the lemon layer mix.  Large bowl.  Whisk the 4 eggs together till mixed, I did it with a hand whisk.  In a 2nd bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder and blend with a fork.  Then slowly add this dry mixture to the eggs.  Beating with the hand whisk.  Next add the lemon peel, vanilla and whisk.  Last add is the lemon juice, but slowly while beating with the whisk, not all at once.
Then pour this wet mixture over the crust.  Put the pan back in the oven at 350F for 25 minutes.  After baked let it cool and cut into squares with a wet bladed knife.  Dust with icing sugar when serving.

Nanaimo Bars

Just have to have these for christmas baking, my husband loves them.  How do you say that name???? Nuh-NIGH-moe.  Yes it is named after a little town on Vancouver Island, and the recipe is traced to the church ladies of the town. 



This makes a 9 x 13 pan, cut in half for 9 x 9 pan 
Parchment paper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups melted butter + 2 tbsp unmelted butter
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup gran sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Heat oven to 350F. Grease 13 x 9 pan.  Line with parchment paper.
Whisk together eggs, 1 cup of the melted butter, cocoa, and sugar in large bowl.  Stir in crumbs, coconut and walnuts.   Press into prepared pan.  Bake 10 minutes, cool in pan on rack.
Stir together remaining 1/3 cup of melted butter, milk and vanilla in medium bowl, beat in icing sugar with mixer.  Spread evenly over cooled base.   Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.
Place chocolate in a microwave bowl with remaining 2 tbsp butter.  Heat 1 minute, stir.  Heat 30 seconds, stir.  Again if necessary, till chocolate is smooth and spreadable.  Pour over bars, smooth out.   Refrigerate till set about 1 hours.   Use the parchment paper to lift out of pan.  Cut into bars. 

Peanut Butter Squares

These taste so much like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!  And you don't really need anything other than a microwave to make these.
Recipe is for 9 x 13 or you can cut it in half to make a 9 x 9 pan.
Base:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
1 3/4 cups icing sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup soft butter
Topping:
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter


No need to grease the pan.  Mix graham crumbs, icing sugar, 1 cup peanut butter and butter all together.  Press into pan.
In a microwave bowl melt the chips and peanut butter and mix together.   Start with 1 minute at a time and stir in between then heat again as needed.  Pour choco/peanut topping over the pan and smooth out. 
Chill in refrigerator for a couple of hours before cutting - 1 inch squares are perfect for popping in your mouth.  I cut them all up and remove from pan to a tupperware dish with lid.  Keep in fridge.
 

Zucchini Bars

If you have a zucchini plant or your neighbour does then you must make this bar.  My mom makes this all year long with fresh and frozen packages of zucchini.  When using frozen just make sure you let it sit in a colander to thaw and then squeeze out the moisture before adding to the batter.

Spray 9 1/2" x 11" pan.
Preheat the oven to 350F.  

Grate 2 cups of zucchini. Set aside.
Whip together 3/4 cup of butter or butter crisco
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and whip again.
Add 1 3/4 cup pastry flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp heaping of baking powder and whip again.
Add 3/4 cup coconut, 3/4 cup chopped dates, 3/4 cup raisins, now fold in the zucchini.   Fold all together.  Pour batter into the baking dish.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes.  
Icing:  Stir the following together - 1 cup icing sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 5 tsp of milk, 1/4 tsp of vanilla, 3 tsp of melted butter.
After the pan of bars cool drizzle the icing on top.