Almond Lemon Crumb Bars

Almond Lemon Crumb Bars

Almond Lemon Bars

A bag of Organic Lemons on sale!!!!!!…………on sale for $1.49!!!!!!! Too good of a bargain to pass up!!!!

Oh no!! What do I do with a bag of Organic Lemons????……….When life hands you lemons, at a bargain price ……..you make Almond Lemon Crumb Bars, of course!

I must admit, I have not always liked lemon bars. Maybe the ones I remember from childhood were too artificial lemony, or maybe I just wasn’t a lemon lover. Well, times they do change………I love lemon, but it has to be real lemon! By real lemon I do not mean that little plastic lemon shape with juice inside, nor do I mean the big green bottle called real lemon. I mean, the buy it in the produce section, bright yellow, squeeze it yourself lemon.

So, not wanting just a plain average lemon bar, not that they are not good, but I wanted to do something a little jazzier with my lemons.

I like a crumbly crunchy topping on…….well almost anything, but on a dessert bar it’s the bomb! A nice cookie crust with just a hint of almond flavor, a soft silky center with just the right amount of lemon, and the crunchy topping with sliced almonds.

Now, Tim and I are really trying to do the healthy thing……with moderate success. So instead of us eating the whole pan, I bestowed my Almond Lemon Crumb Bars on our neighbors and my co-workers. I saved us each one bar………OK two, but they were really small……but at least we didn’t eat the whole pan………now if we could just learn to drive by the Dairy Queen…..LOL.

Almond Lemon Bar Collage

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Almond Lemon Bars

Almond Lemon Crumb Bars

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the crust:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • For the filling:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger*
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • For the topping:
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. For crust:
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Spray a 9″x 13″ baking pan with non stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
  4. With a mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and creamy.
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour and salt, mixing until dough is crumbly but holds together when pinched.
  6. Press dough evenly and firmly into prepared pan. Chill 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.
  8. For filling:
  9. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
  10. Mix flour and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until ginger is finely chopped (about 1 minute)if using crystalized ginger. Stir in baking powder.
  11. Whisk together eggs and sugar. Add flour mixture, and mix until combined. Stir in lemon juice and zest.
  12. Pour filling mixture over crust.
  13. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is almost set. Remove from oven and set aside while making the topping.
  14. For topping:
  15. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter, mixing well. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle topping mixture evenly over filling. Gently press into the filling.
  16. Return to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and almonds are lightly toasted.
  17. Cool bars completely in pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
  18. Decorated with candied lemons, or sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

*You can substitute 2 teaspoons of ground ginger and 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar , mixed with 2 teaspoons of water in place of crystallized ginger. Do not mix add to flour mixture but add with wet ingredients.

Serving size of 24 is based cutting 2 inch bars.

Keywords: almond, lemon, dessert bar, bake, dessert

 

Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Arugula Cannellini Bean Salad

Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Arugula Cannellini Bean Salad

Chicken White Bean Salad

I am finding out that in the blogging world, things can and do go awry…….I guess I should have know that it would not always be smooth sailing. I use a photo editing program that is currently experiencing difficulty. So this post will not have my usual formatting. As soon as my editing program is back to normal I will replace the photos to the type I usually have.

So, that being said ………..this weeks Date Night Dinner is of a lighter fare. We are still trying to eat “better”. I am once again using beans, but this time in a salad. In one of my previous jobs we had a lemon rosemary chicken marinade that we used for our chicken and I always  thought it made the chicken juicy and flavorful. So since I could not for the life of me remember the recipe, I made up my own. It turned out very good. I used some of the same flavors for the salad and viola`……..a match made in heaven.

Chicken White Bean Salad Collage

Maybe I am thinking of spring and summer and this will be a perfect dinner to eat alfresco. In better weather ……..the day I made this was one of the many days that it snowed this past month……..you could easily grill the chicken for your alfresco dining pleasure!

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Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Arugula Cannellini Bean Salad

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: cook
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • salt & pepper
  • 26oz boneless, skinless, chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 1/8 small red onion thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. For the Chicken:
  2. Whisk together the 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, the rosemary, garlic, juice from 1/2 the lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a dish large enough to hold the chicken breast. Add the chicken turning to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive soil in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade ( throw away remaining marinade). Cook 6 to 8 minutes per side ( depending on thickness of chicken) until cooked through (internal temperature of 165*)
  4. For the Salad:
  5. In a large bowl whisk the dijon mustard, juice form 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons for reaming olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add beans, arugula, and red onion, toss to combine.
  6. To Serve:
  7. Divide the salad between to dinner plates and serve with chicken breast.

Keywords: chicken, garlic, lemon, cannellini beans, arugula, dinner

 

Poor Mans Lobster

 Poor Mans Lobster

Poor Mans Lobster 1

So……… as promised a special meal and story for Valentines Day!

Once upon a time……….isn’t that how all great fairy tales start? When Tim and I first met some 30 odd years ago, we were both in our early twenties and it was the late 70’s. I remember going to a party with a girlfriend and when we arrived I saw the cutest guy in cut off short and tube socks with red stripes……….you really do have to be from that era to understand how totally hot that look was! Fast forward a few years and we both were working for the hottest restaurant – bar- nightclub in the area. Anyone who is of a …….certain age……cough, cough  and from this area remembers Waldo Stubbs. It had that Cheers atmosphere…..where everybody knows your name……..The place was always hopping and especially on Friday nights for all you can eat “Poor Mans Lobster”. It was iconic…….more on the food later. Continue reading “Poor Mans Lobster”