Lemon Bark Food

LEMON CHOCOLATE BARK

Steps:

• Line a 13"x9" rimmed baking sheet with a smooth sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.
• To candy the lemon zest, in medium saucepan place 1 cup of water & 1 cup of granulated sugar, & bring to boil.
• Add zest & cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes, or until water is yellowish & zest is translucent.
• Drain water & spread candied zest on wax paper to dry several minutes, then coarsely chop zest.
• In microwave OR in a double boiler, melt bittersweet chocolate, then pour on prepared baking sheet. Use spatula to spread chocolate in a thin layer, then place in refrigerator to set.
• In microwave OR in a double boiler, melt white chocolate. Stir in lemon extract or oil, then, if desired, add several drops of yellow candy food coloring.
• Pour white chocolate on top of dark chocolate & smooth into a thin layer.
• While top layer is still wet, sprinkle chopped lemon zest on top & gently press into the chocolate.
• Place tray in refrigerator to set.
• When set, break into irregular pieces & serve.

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• For the crust: Add the flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 times until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, about 30 times. (The dough will not come together in one mass.) Sprinkle the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and lightly pat it down. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk continuously over medium heat, occasionally scraping down the sides and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, until simmering and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and butter until combined.
• Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the crust and bake until just set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Use the foil overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Remove the foil and slice into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

LEMON BARK

Steps:

• Melt white chocolate in microwave till liquid and smooth.
• Add broken lemon drops and mix gently to combine.
• Pour onto cookie sheet and spread to about 1/4 inch or so thickness (I always line it with parchment!).
• Allow to cool until hardened and break into pieces.
• Enjoy.

LEMON BARK RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and smoothing the foil. Candy the lemon zest. Place 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the zest and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until the water is yellowish and the zest is translucent. Drain the water and spread the candied zest on wax paper to dry for a few minutes. Coarsely chop the zest or snip with kitchen shears. Melt the bittersweet chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, and pour on the baking sheet. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate in a thin layer and place in the refrigerator to set. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, stir in the lemon oil or extract, and add a few drops of yellow candy food coloring, if desired. Pour the white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate, smoothing in a thin layer. While the top layer is still wet, sprinkle on the chopped lemon zest and press gently into the chocolate. Place the tray in the refrigerator to set. Once set, break into irregular pieces and serve. Note: If you are planning on having this candy at room temperature for long periods of time, you will want to temper the chocolate to make it temperature-stable.

CLASSIC LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. (If you like, you can let the butter cook until it browns and smells nutty, 2 to 4 minutes longer.)
• Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in melted butter and, using a spatula, mix until well combined. Press this into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan, using a measuring cup if you like to flatten the tart shell and make sure it's even. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 months (wrap in plastic if storing for more than 4 hours).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line tart dough with a piece of foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and continue to bake until the crust is very lightly golden at the edges and baked through on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool. (Tart shell can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.)
• Make the curd: Put butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and mixture is hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, yolks and salt. Whisk the hot mixture gradually into the eggs to temper them. Then pour everything back into the saucepan and return to medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (170 degrees; do not overcook, or it will curdle), about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Taste and add a bit more sugar if you like. It should taste tart but balanced.
• Spread the curd (it's OK if it's still warm) into the tart shell, spreading it evenly with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Return to the oven to bake until the curd is just set along the edges but still jiggly in the center, about 7 to 15 minutes. (It will continue to firm up as it cools.) Transfer back to the wire rack to cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving. If the curd still looks a little loose after cooling, you can chill the tart for an hour or two before serving. Note that it's a soft curd but shouldn't be runny.

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.