Tuesdays at the Table - Lemon Squares

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Sorry for the lack of blog posts last week.  A nasty cold has been circulating around the office (and my family) and I finally fell victim.  It was bad enough that I called in sick to work twice last week...and that never happens!

Anyhow, lemon is one of my favorite flavors!  These lemon squares are very easy and a crowd-pleaser.  Or maybe they just make a girl with a cold feel good!

Lemon Squares

2 sticks butter, softened
2  cups sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
juice of two lemons (about 1/3 cup)
zest of two lemons
powdered sugar to decorate

In a large bowl, cream together butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups flour and salt.  Press into a greased and floured 9x13 baking dish.  Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, until the edges start to turn golden brown.

In a large bowl, combing the remaining flour and sugar.  Whisk in your eggs, followed by the lemon juice and lemon zest.  Pour your lemon mixture over the baked crust.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then allow to cool in the pan.

Dust with powdered sugar and slice into 24 bars.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Tuesdays at the Table - Vanilla Macarons & Thirty Days of Thankful - Baking

I love to cook and I think I love to bake even more.  While baking is more technically precise - once you understand the math behind your base ingredients, there's so much you can do to take an ordinary recipe and make it your own!  When you enter the kitchen to bake you get to play and taste...and just fall into a zen-like zone where you get to express yourself creatively.  Sure some baking experiments will come out badly, but that's part of the fun!

Image via Paul Bolangerie UK

I came back from England with an affinity (OK...maybe obsession) with a few bakery items that are seemingly EVERYWHERE in England, but are a pretty rare commodity here.  One of those items is Macarons.  No.  I did not misspell "macaroon".  I'm not talking about those heavy coconut laden things.  After all - I'm allergic to coconut!  I'm taking about those light, airy, almond and meringue based cookies that originated in France.  They are amazing!

Vanilla Bean Macarons

2 3/4 cup almond flour (you can also make your own from blanched almonds in the food processor)
2 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup [7-8] large egg whites (room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean (cut lengthwise and scraped)

Preheat the oven to 325 and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Blend the almond flour with the powdered sugar in the food processor to make mixture as fine as possible. Sift the mixture through a strainer to eliminate any large crumbs from forming on the macaron tops as they bake.

With the wire whip attachment on the electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt, starting slowly and then increasing speed as the whites start to rise. Add the granulated sugar and the vanilla bean scraping. Beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks and your meringue is firm and shiny. Fold the egg whites into the almond meal mixture, using a rubber spatula. When you can’t see any crumbs of almond flour and the mixture is shiny and flowing you’re done mixing.

Fill your pastry bag and pipe even rounds onto the parchment paper.  (I like about 2 inch rounds.)  Leave an inch between each shell so they don't touch while baking. Tap your full sheet of rounds on the counter top to release any air bubbles and with wet fingers smooth down any peaks that are sticking up from piping.

Let the macarons rest for 10-15 minutes before baking.  Bake for 14 minutes, but about five minutes in open the oven door briefly to let the steam out! Let macarons cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup powered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 vanilla bean (cut lengthwise and scraped)

Beat softened butter until fluffy.  Add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean scraping and beat until fully combined.  Slowly add the powered sugar and fully combine.  Add the heavy cream and beat the mixture on medium high for about 4 minutes until the buttercream is fluffy and smooth.  Pipe or spread buttercream on half of the cookies (flat side) and then sandwich together.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Tuesdays at the Table - Nutella Filled Sugar Cookie Cups

Happy Tuesday!  Or in my case, "OMG, I leave for my first vacation in a decade tomorrow...time to stress"! Seriously. You could all scrape me off the ceiling right now.  You know; after I finish a very long to-do list.

Friday our office celebrated National Desert Day.  I loved seeing (and tasting) all the yummy things my co-workers brought in!  It was all so good.

I made these little bites.  It was my first time making them and I think they were a hit with everyone!

Nutella Filled Sugar Cookie Cups

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease mini muffin pan.

Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add in dry ingredients.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls and place them in the muffin pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Let cool for one minute then take a tsp measuring spoon and press down making an intention on each cookie.

Ganache:
1/2 cup semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips
1/3 cup cream
1/4 cup Nutella

Heat slowly in a small saucepan or microwave safe dish and stir until all ingredients are incorperated and smooth.  Fill each sugar cookie cup with ganache and allow to set before serving.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

The One Where I Contemplate Doing Something Totally Crazy...

I play things safe, at least, I think I do.  I still get to do some really cool stuff...like traveling cross-country, starting a rescue, and enjoying day to day life with my family and friends, which is an adventure all unto itself.  However, there are times I stand on the sidelines of life thinking "I'd love to take a chance and do this or that."  I can't tell you for sure what stops me most of the time.  Sometimes, it's because I'm shy, sometimes I'm too afraid of failure, or I care too much what other people think of my choices...and sometimes, I'm just afraid. Period.

Most of the time, the thing I'm contemplating and stop myself from doing is minute.  Go make friends with someone new at a party. Pull the trigger and get tattoo #3. Finally write a book (OK...so that one is kinda big.).

Today, I came across an article in the Boston Globe.  A local bakery is being given away by its current owner! All I need to do to enter is write a brief essay for consideration and send in a certified check for the entry fee.  I'm seriously considering it.  I love to bake!  Despite being shy - I love people!  Owning a local bakery is something I think I could actually be good at.

I'm not rushing into making the decision to enter...or not.  But my heart races when I think about it.  What do you all think?  Am I crazy for considering it?

Pictures from bakery's website