Lemon Bars

I've adapted this recipe over the years. It's my go to. It's simple and inexpensive and a sure way to make whoever you make it for feel special. 

Lemon Bars

Crust:

1 cup flour

½ cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt (you won't have measuring spoon so just eye half of a ¼ teaspoon)

1 stick cold butter, cut into little pieces

Filling:

1 cup regular sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 ½ lemons)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat 350 degrees

To make the crust: Grease an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. In a bowl whisk flour, powdered sugar, and salt together. Add butter and with your hand mix until crumbly. Press crust mixture into the bottom of the 8x8 pan (If the crust starts to stick to your hand put it into the freezer for 5 about minutes and then press it into place). Bake for 18 minutes until golden brown. Set crust aside.

To make the filling: In a bowl whisk together sugar, flour, and salt. Add eggs until combine. Add lemon zest and lemon juice until mixed well. Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust. Bake for 18 minutes or until the filling has set.  

Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. So GOOD!

Chocolate Syrup

This is a very simple chocolate syrup recipe. Great for chocolate milk, over ice cream, or in your coffee!

Chocolate Syrup

½ cup cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla

In a large saucepan whisk cocoa and water on medium heat until the cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and whisk until dissolved. Make sure the sugar is dissolved our it will make your syrup grainy. Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Make sure and watch it or it will boil over and you will be cleaning up a huge mess like I did! Add salt and vanilla. Let the syrup cool completely before pouring into a clean glass jar. Store in the fridge. ENJOY!

Strawberry Galette

My husband loves this dessert with vanilla ice-cream! It’s a very light dessert so it's perfect if you want something tasty but not to filling. It's great if your strawberries are looking a little sad and need to be used! You can also serve it with homemade whip cream if your into that sort of thing.

Strawberry Galette

1 pie crust (pre-made or if your channeling your inner Martha Stewart you can make your own, I used pre-made)

15 strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoons sugar          

Sugar for sprinkling

1 teaspoon vanilla paste (optional, this is a little hard to find so if you don't have it don't worry about it)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

Preheat 350 degrees.

Serving size: 4

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put sliced strawberries into a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, cornstarch and the very optional vanilla paste.  Mix until all the berries are coated.  Lay out the pie dough on the parchment paper. Starting from the middle and working out overlap the strawberries forming a circle about 1-inch from the edge of the pie crust.

Fold the edges of the dough over the strawberries to form a square (the middle will have the strawberries exposed). Now fold the corners over. Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water (this is called an egg wash). Brush the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle crust with raw sugar.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Here's a how to guide on folding your galette:

Starting from the middle and working out overlap the strawberries forming a circle about 1-inch from the edge of the pie crust.

Fold the edges of the dough over the strawberries to form a square (the middle will have the strawberries exposed).

Now fold the corners over.  Boom! You've successfully folded your galette! 

Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (day old works best)
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or milk/dairy substitute
1/3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cups raisins (optional)

Combine rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until thick and creamy, about 15-20 minutes. Slowly stir in reserved 1/2 milk and beaten egg making sure not to scramble the egg. Add raisins. Cook 2 minutes. Take off heat, add butter and vanilla. You can either eat it warm or cold. Enjoy!