Poppy Seed Lemon Bars Food

POPPY SEED-LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Combine butter and confectioners' sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour, salt, and cardamom; mix until just combined. Stir in poppy seeds until evenly distributed. Press dough evenly into the prepared baking dish with floured hands.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until edges are just starting to brown, about 18 minutes.
• While the crust is baking, combine sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until just combined.
• As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, pour the filling into it and return to the oven.
• Bake until filling is puffy and lightly browned around the edges, about 30 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool completely before cutting into 16 squares. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar.

LEMON MERINGUE BARS WITH POPPY SEED CRUST

Steps:

• To make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, taking care to cover the corners as well. Lightly butter the foil.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt together. Add the butter and mix until well combined. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Just before the crust is finished baking, prepare the filling: Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Rub zest into sugar with your fingertips until well combined and fragrant. Add flour and salt. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks, followed by the lemon juice.
• When the crust is finished baking, turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Pour the filling over the hot crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake until filling is set, but just slightly wiggly in the center, about 23 to 25 more minutes. While the bars are baking, prepare the meringue.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cornstarch. Whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is foamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and whip until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and salt and mix briefly to combine.
• When filling is set, remove pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Carefully spoon and spread the meringue over the hot bars, then set it under the broiler until the meringue is deep golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the heat of the broiler. Keep a close eye on the meringue during this process. It can go from perfectly golden to scorched in mere moments. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

LEMON-POPPY SEED BARS

Steps:

• Make crust:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
• 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed. Add the salt, sugar, and vanilla, and continue to beat until light but not fluffy. Lower the speed and add the flour. Mix until just combined.
• 3. Spread the dough into the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch pan, patting with your fingers and smoothing the top with an offset metal or rubber spatula if necessary.
• 4. Bake until light golden brown around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Do not turn off the oven.
• Make poppy seed layer:
• Place the poppy seeds, sugar and 1/4 cup cold water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Add the butter and stir until incorporated. Remove from the heat immediately and spread the poppy seed mixture evenly over the baked cookie crust. Set aside.
• Make lemon filling:
• 1. Place 3/4 cup cold water and the cornstarch into a medium nonreactive saucepan and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch.
• 2. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk to combine. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• 3. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Whisk until smooth. Pour the lemon filling evenly over the poppy seed layer.
• Make topping:
• 1. Using a handheld mixer or in a the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggwhites on medium-high speed. When the whites peak softly, slowly add the sugar. Continue whipping until firm (but not stiff) peaks are formed.
• 2. Fold in the cornstarch, and then the poppy seeds. Cover the lemon filling completely and dab the top to make attractive swirled points. Bake until the meringue browns, about 18 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Cut into 8 large bars.

LEMON-POPPY SEED ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat until warm but not hot, about 100˚ F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter, egg yolks and vanilla into the milk-yeast mixture, then pour into the well and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a wet shaggy dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, dusting with flour as needed, until the dough comes together into a loose, slightly sticky ball, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Mash the poppy seed filling with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl with a fork until combined; set aside.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface; pat and roll out into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Brush the clean edge with water, then tightly roll up the dough into a log, starting with a long side and rolling toward the clean edge; pinch the seam to seal.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Slice the dough log into 12 pieces with a sharp knife and arrange cut-side up in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing: Mix the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Spread on the warm rolls.

LEMON POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Set oven to 300°F (set oven rack to middle position).
• Butter an 8x8-inch glass baking dish.
• In a bowl using an electric mixer cream the butter with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
• Add in zest, lemon juice (if using) and poppy seeds; mix until combined.
• In a small bowl mix together flour and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix just until combined.
• Press the mixture into prepared baking pan.
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until pale golden brown.
• Let the shortbread cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes.
• Cut into 24 bars and let the bars cool completely in the pan.
• Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

LEMON POPPY-SEED SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the zest and the vanilla, add the poppy seeds, the flour, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it is just combined. Press the mixture evenly into a buttered 8-inch-square baking pan and bake it in the middle of a preheated 300°F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is pale golden. Let the shortbread cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, cut it into 24 bars, and let the bars cool completely in the pan. Sprinkle the bars with the additional confectioners' sugar.