Lightanddreamyorangebars Food

FLORIDA CITRUS BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang for easy removal.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add the vanilla wafers, butter, granulated sugar, zest and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the mixture is a very fine crumb and is starting to clump together. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Chill the dish in the freezer while you make the filling.
• For the filling: Add the cream cheese, condensed milk, confectioners' sugar, grapefruit zest, lemon zest and orange zest to a large bowl. Whip together with an electric hand mixer until completely combined and there are no clumps of cream cheese. Fold in the whipped cream. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour in the filling, using a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Return to the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For the topping: When the filling is set, remove the whole bar from the baking dish and place on a cutting board; removing the parchment. Decorate the top with the orange, grapefruit and lemon rounds, then carefully slice into bars. Serve immediately.

LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well and stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. and bake confection in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars. Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days. Sift confectioners' sugar over bars before serving.

CHEF JOHN'S LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Place an oven rack into middle position in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Place 1 cup flour and butter in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; mash mixture together until mixture looks like a slightly crumbly cookie dough.
• Moisten your fingers with a little water and press dough into bottom of prepared baking dish. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crust.
• Bake crust on center rack in the preheated oven until crust edges are barely golden brown, 22 minutes.
• Beat eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl; whisk in white sugar and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest; whisk for 2 minutes. Pour lemon custard over crust.
• Bake on center rack until custard is set and top has a thin white sugary crust, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Dip knife into very hot water, run around the edge, and cut into 16 squares. Dust cookies with 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar.

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.

ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter.
• Stir together the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press into the prepared pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.
• For the filling: Stir together the granulated sugar and flour in a bowl. Crack in the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the orange zest and juice and mix until combined. Pour over the crust and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into 16 pieces.

LIGHT LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In large bowl, stir together flour and powdered sugar.
• Using a pasty cutter, cut in cream cheese and oil until crumbly.
• Press mixture into bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Bake 20 minutes or until light golden in color.
• In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar and lemon peel until smooth.
• Whisk in flour, baking powder, salt, and finally lemon juice.
• Pour into the hot crust and bake 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and set.

LIGHT AND DREAMY ORANGE BARS

Steps:

• Chill a small mixing bowl and beaters.
• In the top section of a double boiler, soften gelatin in the melted concentrated Orange Juice.
• Place over hot water, and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
• Using cold beaters, beat dry milk and water until soft peaks form.
• Add the lemon juice and beat until stiff.
• Fold in orange juice mixture.
• Spread on 12 Graham crackers.
• Top with the remaining crackers.
• Wrap individually; freeze until firm about 2 hours.

DREAM BARS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Pat into a 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar; stir in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture. Fold in coconut and walnuts. Spread over baked crust. Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.