lemon

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Refreshing, Tart Lemon Granita with Fresh Berries

I must have walked past it a million times, running my fingers along its bright cover, fanning its glossy pages wistfully. I must have asked my parents a million times to look at just one page. They must have responded a million times: “If you look at it now, you won’t have anything to read on the road trip.” It was a brand new, crisp Simpson’s activity book, heavy with dozens of colorful pages, and it sat on my parents’ nightstand for safe keeping, taunting me. It felt like a treasure chest just out of my reach.

After about a week of incessant begging, my dad was “leaving it up to my mom,” and I was pretty sure my mom was about to cave. Just a few more targeted requests. Just a little more careful rationalizing on my part.

“If you let me read a page, I’ll enjoy it now and on the car trip. If you don’t, I’ll just get to enjoy it once.” A few minutes later: “I won’t read the whole thing, just one page. I’ll still have tons to read on the trip.” A few minutes later: “You know, I bet there are some activities in it you can’t do on the road. I’ll just feel disappointed if I read those when we’re stuck in the car.” A few minutes later: “Please please please please please–“

She caved. “Oh well. Just read a page. If you read more and don’t have anything to read on the car trip, don’t complain to me.”

I did read just one page . . . at first. And I really, really liked that page! And I really, really wanted to read just one more. And so I did. There were still plenty of pages left for the road trip; no biggie.

Except that after a few days I’d devoured most of the book. As we loaded into the car to start our 12-hour trek to see family in Missouri, I knew I was in for some pretty rough natural consequences. Sure enough, I had about 5 pages left, and after eagerly devouring those, the book sat on my lap, consumed completely and looking a little dull in comparison to its original boasting luster. I was too proud and stubborn to admit my mistake to my parents, who were happily flipping through Van Morrison CDs in the front seat. So for the next 11.5 hours or so, I stared at trees (and periodically a cow or two) out the window of my family’s gray minivan.

Thankfully, I had the comfort of having been right about one detail. There was an activity in the book that couldn’t have been done in the car. There was a recipe for a glass of lemonade — just one glass — and before our epic car ride, I had happily raided the kitchen for lemon juice and sugar to test it out. It was delicious, made even moreso because I’d fixed it up all by myself, and I made it at least half a dozen times before I tired of its novelty.

Fast forward 20 years or so. I made this super simple lemon granita on Monday, and the exquisite result — from the tart, sweet lemon explosion to the pride at having made it myself — took me right back to those days standing at the counter with my Simpson’s activity book open to the lemonade recipe, diligently stirring a tall glass. This bright lemon ice is just as easy to make as that childhood recipe, but for a little grownup update, I topped it with a drizzle of limoncello and a handful of fresh raspberries. It’s the perfect summer treat: finished in an ice cream maker in 15 minutes, flat, and ready to delight any barbecue guest.

One year ago: Thyme Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Two years ago: Straw-Raspberry Basil Fruit Leather
Three years ago: Homemade Buttery Croissants and Pains au Chocolat

Refreshing, Tart Lemon Granita with Fresh Berries


Recipe by: Slightly adapted from Gourmet, via Epicurious
Yield: 2-4 servings

This amazing lemon granita is lip-puckering good! It’s like a sweet/tart lemonade frozen into a refreshing summer ice. If you’re a lemon fan, you’ll love it with a drizzle of limoncello and a handful of fresh, sweet berries.

Ingredients:
2 to 4 large lemons
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
a few teaspoons limoncello (optional)
fresh berries (optional)

Directions:
With a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, remove zest in long pieces from 1 lemon. Scrape off the white rind from the zest if you got much — this could make your granita bitter. Finely grate off the zest of another lemon. Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from lemons (this took 4 lemons worth of squeezin’ for me, but you only use the zest from the first 2).

In a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in zest (strips and grated) and transfer this mixture to a bowl to cool. Chill syrup, covered, overnight.

About 20 minutes before you’d like to serve your granita, discard large strips of zest (the grated zest stays in for flavor and texture) and stir the 1/2 cup lemon juice into the syrup. Freeze lemon mixture in an ice-cream maker until it’s “spoonable but not crumbly.” This usually took about 12-15 minutes for me. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture, stirring every 30 minutes, for 3-4 hours.) Serve immediately, garnished with a teaspoon of limoncello and fresh berries if desired.

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cakes

Limoncello-Spiked Shortbread Icebox Cake with Fresh Raspberries

I sometimes choose the middle booth at McAlister’s Deli (where I eat dinner way too often), forgetting that it’s the awkward seesaw booth. My seat is attached to the seat of the booth behind me but not secured to much else. As a result, a particularly large or particularly enthusiastic person sitting down behind me launches me into the air.

Today, two particularly enthusiastic little people danced a veritable waltz on the seat behind me. Every few seconds I would go awkwardly airborne. I felt like a passenger on a school bus with suspension problems driving through a speed bump factory. This made for an interesting work environment (I’m a workaholic; when I eat, I always work. And browse Facebook. Whatever.)

I was understandably annoyed. I’m not big on confrontation, however, and I knew they were just little girls, so I seethed quietly. Sometimes the vibration would stop for a few minutes only to start again with a vengeance: pounce-giggle, pounce-giggle, POUNCEPOUNCEPOUNCE-giggle. I crushed my napkin.

A few minutes after the table received their food, however, I heard two little girl voices chanting their prayers in sing-song voices: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food….” My heart grew three sizes. I revised my past conclusions about these children (namely, that they were ill-behaved little trolls hell-bent on raising my blood pressure) and decided they were sweet and angelic.

And then: POUNCE-giggle, POUNCEPOUNCE-giggle. WHO RAISED THOSE LITTLE HELLIONS?!

The entire situation was a paradox and I found myself running hot and cold in rapid succession. Were these little girls sweet or annoying?

In this situation, it’s obvious to see the synthesis: they were both. They were sweet girls and they were being annoying. I didn’t have to make a choice whether to despise or love them. I could do a little of both.

I’ve noticed in other spheres of life — particularly ones that are high-stakes like politics, religion, and family issues — people are very reluctant to find the synthesis. Perhaps they feel that giving an inch towards some sort of compromise in position would undermine their personal views; on the contrary, I usually find the synthesis to be more realistic and commendable. It inspires credibility when one can divorce themselves from a dogmatic viewpoint and find common ground.

Perhaps in the gun control debate, we need to value personal freedoms and brainstorm ways to regulate guns more appropriately. Perhaps in the gay marriage debate, we need to be able to live by our personal belief systems and allow others to live by different ones. Maybe we need to keep class sizes down, pay teachers more, and find ways to save money in our school systems. Maybe your overbearing uncle needs to stop talking so much and you need to listen and engage more with his stories. Life is not one big football game. We don’t have to choose sides, paint our faces, and wear one of those morph suits; indeed, we might actually make progress by seeking common goals instead of screaming our polarized opinions louder and louder and LOUDER. This is something I would like Congress to revisit before any more financial stalemates occur. The more complex a problem is, the more important it is to get past partisan squabbles and get to the synthesis so creative problem solving can take place.

To qualify, the truth is not always in the synthesis. Sometimes a stand needs to be taken because one side is right and the other side is wrong. But since I’ve started looking for the synthesis of viewpoints, I personally find this happens very infrequently. Much more frequently, progress could be made on an issue if both sides would acknowledge that, uh, they’re both kinda right.

I’m one of those people who believe that things come across our paths for a reason. So if you’re reading this, maybe consider it a challenge. What’s an area of your life where you’ve been very firmly rooted to one side of an issue? Can you find a synthesis of viewpoints there?

* * *

I’m thankful for those little girls, really, because they provided a moment to share something I’ve learned. Now it’s time to share something I’ve made — and I think you’ll love it as much as I did. I took your typical oreo icebox cake and swapped out the oreos for shortbread cookies, swapped out the whipped cream for limoncello-spiked whipped cream, and piled a ton of fresh raspberries on top. It was spring in a bowl — with an amazing little zing, subtle lemon flavor, and lots of brightness!

I also have to tell you about my shortbread experience. I honestly scoffed when I saw the price of a box of these Walkers shortbread cookies ($4.50 at my local store). That is not a price I pay for cookies. However, I got these babies home and took a bite and I seriously might go buy out the shelf. They are wonderful: just as buttery as fresh shortbread cookies and a nicer texture in some ways. They’re perfect for this cake. I immediately emailed the Walkers folks and told them I’d be mentioning them — so go show them some love on Facebook and tell ’em Willow Bird sent you. And buy a box of cookies. Or four.

One year ago: Sweet Orange Florentines
Two years ago: Itsy Bitsy Berry Cream Pies
Three years ago: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Creamy Coleslaw, and Summer Bean Salsa

Limoncello-Spiked Shortbread Icebox Cake with Fresh Raspberries


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 10 servings

Icebox cake traditionally layers oreo cookies and whipped cream. Upon chilling, the dessert turns into a velvety, indulgent masterpiece — with no cooking and no fuss. This version is updated for spring, using buttery Walker’s shortbread cookies, whipped cream spiked with limoncello, and a pile of fresh berries.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons limocello
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 cups cream
4 (150 g) packages Walkers Shortbread rounds
fresh berries of your choice
lemon zest for topping (optional)

Directions:
In a large, chilled bowl, combine limoncello, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cream. Beat with chilled beaters to stiff peaks. Place a layer of shortbread rounds in a large trifle dish. Top with about an inch of cream. Continue layering, ending with cream. Cover and chill this overnight in fridge. Before serving, sprinkle lemon zest over the top and pile high with berries of your choice.

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other

Lobster Roll Salad (and salad tips!)

It’s started. Like clockwork each spring, my body (mostly) gives up its quest for the comfort of cheese-laden, bready, warm casseroles and begins craving light, lemony salads. Juicy melons! Light tufts of quinoa! Handfuls of berries! Sprigs of fresh leafy herbs! Piles of greens!

You will laugh at this when I post my next recipe. But for now, since I’m craving all things light and fresh, let’s talk salad.

I eat around 4-5 salads per week, usually of the garden-salad variety: tomatoes, cucumbers, a few croutons. I’m bored just talking about it. You’re probably asleep. Next topic.

About once a week I get an awesome salad from my local Greek place complete with feta, red onions, huge hunks of tomatoes, kalamata olives, a Greek vinaigrette, and shaved gyro meat. I eat it with tzatziki sauce and crackers and it is probably the best salad in the universe. It is also probably 8,000 calories. I’m gaining weight just talking about it. You’re probably disgusted. Next topic.

Salads are harrrd. They’re often either healthy and gross or delicious and artery-clogging. It’s hard to strike a balance. When I got the chance to send a few of my salad questions to awesome, famous, cool, I-can’t-believe-she’s-talking-to-me, celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein in honor of National Salad Month, I jumped at the chance. Both because of my salad confusion and because I secretly hope she decides to be my BFF. Heyyy, Michelle. Call me. We’ll go shoe shopping. Unless you don’t like shoes. Whatever, that’s cool too.

For now, I’ll settle for her answering my salad questions. I sent her three:

1. I eat lots of salads to balance out all the desserts I make, but they get a little boring. I usually throw together some arugula, lemon juice and olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. What are some quick ways to make salads more interesting?
2. I find that dressing can pack so many calories, but I also sort of hate my salad if I don’t use enough of it. How can I balance taste and nutrition?
3. If you had to choose one salad combo to eat every day for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

Here are her awesome answers, which I will interpret as a love letter to me and an invitation to her house for BBQ (she said none of this. But you will love what she did say.) Thanks, Michelle!

After listening to Bernstein’s answers, I was inspired to get a little more creative with my salad. I took a beloved, traditional dish — the lobster roll — and transformed it into a lower carb salad version that was a little lighter on the mayonnaise and butter. The tangy, fresh lobster salad on the bright butter lettuce felt so springy and happy, but the garlic butter croutons were the piéce de resistance. Mike sliced up some juicy watermelon for dessert, making this a quintessential (and amazing) spring meal.


bonus tip: have you ever eaten your watermelon lightly salted?
it may sound odd, but it really brings out the sweetness!

What are some creative salad ideas?

One year ago: Blueberry Scones with Maple Glaze
Two years ago: Coffee Mousse Filled Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sandwiches
Three years ago: Lemon Raspberry Cake

Lobster Roll Salad


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 2 servings

Lobster rolls are buttery, tangy, bright, and fresh. This recipe continues those themes in salad form! The salad pictured above used only half as much lobster salad as the recipe below makes; I tweaked the amounts below because I thought it’d be nice to have more. Don’t do store-bought croutons, by the way. These croutons are insane and make all the difference in the salad. I’ll never buy those dry brick croutons ever again!

Ingredients:
1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

12 ounces cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
dash of hot sauce (I use Frank’s Hot Sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped vidalia onions
2 teaspoons chopped green onions
2 heaping teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 – 2 kaiser rolls, chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves roasted garlic (or 1 clove fresh)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet in aluminum foil. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and steep the garlic clove(s) in it for a couple of minutes before adding the bread cubes and tossing them to coat. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet (leave the cloves with them) and bake for 10 minutes. Toss the cubes and bake 5 minutes longer or until as crisp as you prefer. Remove and let them cool, discarding the garlic cloves (or saving them for another use).

Place the lemon juice in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Drop in the lettuce leaves and toss to coat. Season them with salt and pepper and set in the fridge to chill until used.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and hot sauce. Stir in the onions, green onions, and parsley. Gently toss in the lobster meat so as not to break it up. Salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the salad by placing the dressed lettuce on a platter, spreading around the croutons, and piling on the lobster salad. Serve immediately.

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other

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns
Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

You know the saying, “Don’t dress for the job you have; dress for the job you want”? I like to adapt that statement for my own ridiculous purposes on occasion.

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

The other day it was roughly 40 degrees outside, which is basically winter-in-Antarctica weather for me (some New Englander with a snowdrift the size of a Hummer outside their door is about to beat me up). Despite being pathologically repulsed by cold weather, I was too lazy to put on a coat. I ran out in a gauzy t-shirt and jeans to pick up some dinner.

When you make a wardrobe choice like this, you can’t curl up in a ball on the sidewalk, acknowledging defeat. You have to grit your teeth and pretend your choice was appropriate for some secret reason only you are aware of. I therefore ignored my goosebumps and impending hypothermia as I walked along the sidewalk to the restaurant, swinging my arms as if enjoying a gentle summer breeze. Upon noticing a guy in a t-shirt clearly doing the exact same thing, I gave him a nod. “We’re dressing for the weather we want, not the weather we have. It’s strategic!” I yelled toward him.

He responded, “Exactly. And it’s only 40 degrees. We’re not even cold, right?”

“NOPE, not one bit.”

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

I also often bake for the weather I want, not the weather I have. Naomi at Bakers Royale just acknowledged she sometimes uses out-of-season produce, so I might as well make my confession, too, though I might get excommunicated from the blogosphere. I promise I do care about being green and supporting local business. But sometimes I also want raspberries. My lifestyle is admittedly imperfect.

Now that we’ve gotten that admission out of the way, I can tell you that I’m baking for spring.

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

When it’s cold and rainy like it has been in Charlotte lately, my already sun-sheltered apartment windows let in an even more dreary landscape than usual. The courtyard of my apartment complex, where the grass has stubbornly refused to take root, becomes a muddy landslide. My morale slides right off into the stormdrain along with the river that forms in my parking lot.

On days like this, I need some lemon. And some bright summer berries. (And a sunlamp and some vitamin D and maybe a tropical vacation, but I digress.)

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

Since I first made Savory Sweet Potato & Chorizo Cinnamon Rolls and Buttery Coconut & Almond Morning Buns, I’ve been looking for new ways to use my favorite overnight yeast dough. I could’ve just made buttery lemon-glazed rolls, but I decided stuffing some tangy lemon cheesecake in my morning buns was a better idea. This yeast dough is a cinch to whip up and is so forgiving — and its second proof takes place overnight in the fridge. The resulting rolls are soft, buttery, and tangy. They almost have the texture of a flaky bread pudding. And needless to say, they’re delicious. I served them with some raspberries and a tall glass of cold milk. Enjoy!

One year ago: Thick Chocolate Cake with a Big Red (Velvet!) Heart
Two years ago: Heart-Shaped Palmiers and a Pesto Giveaway
Three years ago: Billion Cheese (Heart-shaped) Ravioli with Red Pepper Pancetta Sauce

5 from 1 reviews
Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns could easily double as dessert. They are fluffy, gooey, tangy, buttery, and beyond delicious. I hope you’ll find a space for these rolls on your breakfast or brunch table. They definitely belong in the spotlight.
Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
Roll Ingredients:
  • 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F)
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 cups milk minus 2 tablespoons, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup cold shortening
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted, for after baking
Filling Ingredients:
  • 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • zest of 1 lemon (reserve a little for topping)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 stick salted butter (or 1 stick unsalted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt), melted
Glaze Ingredients:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 table lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • about 1/4 cup milk
  • extra lemon zest
Instructions
  1. Note on proofing: This yeast dough proofs for a couple of hours after you mix it up, and then the assembled rolls proof in the fridge overnight, so allow for this when planning to make this recipe. With most cinnamon rolls recipes you could switch this and proof in the fridge overnight and then assemble and proof on the countertop, but I opted to switch that method with these because I didn’t want the cream cheese filling sitting out too long.
  2. Note on yield: I don’t recommend halving yeast recipes; instead, if you don’t want 24 rolls at once, consider freezing some for later.
  3. Note on freezing: To freeze some of the unbaked rolls, just wrap them well before the second rise and freeze them. Once frozen, pop them out of the pan all together and store in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap and in a zip top bag or wrapped in foil. When you want to bake them, stick them back in a greased pan, thaw them in the fridge overnight, proof for the instructed amount of time, and bake like usual.
  4. Mix the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and let the yeast foam for about 10 minutes. Put 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a measuring cup and then add milk up to the 2 cup line. Set this aside. In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and cut the shortening into the mixture with two knives or a pastry cutter until the shortening looks like small peas. Stir yeast mixture and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well, kneading just a few turns. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly sprayed with cooking spray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm, draft-free place (such as a closed, turned-off oven), for around 2 hours or until doubled in size.
  5. After proofing the dough, lightly spray two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray. Cream the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy before adding lemon zest, sugar, lemon juice, and the egg. Mix together until well combined.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick (I carefully cut the dough in half and worked with half at a time to make it more manageable; if you do this, just spread on half of the filling ingredients for each half you roll). Spread the melted butter over the surface of the rolled dough and then dollop the cream cheese mixture all across the surface, spreading gently to create an even layer. Gently roll the dough up into a spiral (I find using a bench scraper to encourage the dough to roll up during this process incredibly helpful) and cut it into 2-inch rolls, placing them close together in your prepared baking dishes (at this point, you could wrap and freeze the rolls for later if you wanted).
  7. Cover the rolls let them rise in the fridge overnight (they will have nearly doubled.) When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, letting the rolls rise on top of the preheating oven covered by a clean dish towel. Bake them for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top (don’t underbake or they’ll still be doughy in the center). Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and return to the oven for 1 more minute. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Sprinkle with reserved zest and serve immediately.

 

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cookies, other

Lemon Raspberry Squares

I know I said that sometimes you need to settle in and let the hard times wash over you like waves. And that’s true. You need to do this the most when you’ve been running like a hamster in a wheel, trying by virtue of your own power to get somewhere.

Other times, though — those times when you’re exhausted and overwrought — it’s okay to build a boat.

Not a canoe. I’m talkin’ a big, sturdy boat. And it’s okay to get in that boat and put on some headphones. And a blindfold. It’s okay to sing at the top of your lungs, to willfully drown out the sight, sound, and persistent pressure of the waves until you forget they exist altogether. We both know that someday you have to get out and face the ocean. But it doesn’t have to be today.

I recently asked you on Facebook to help me build a boat and distract myself from the waves. We shared funny stories on a hard day, and oh dear, you are a witty bunch! I thought I’d share my own funny story in more detail here, in case you need a distraction today. I present to you The Tale of The Wayward Underwear.

(Did I just lose my sponsors? Oh well. Anyway…)

Back in college, I had a sweet apartment above my professor’s garage (hi, Dr. Peroni). It didn’t have a full kitchen, but I hadn’t really started baking yet anyway. I made chili in my electric skillet, hot dogs in my microwave, and that was all I needed. That and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on television. And my blue couch from Goodwill, which had no back legs and thus reclined. Awesome.

The washer and dryer downstairs was icing on the cake. I did laundry about once a week, but was usually too busy to bother putting the clean clothes away. Instead, I grabbed things straight from the dryer and threw them on before class.

One day I was late to my American Lit class and I did just that. I absentmindedly tugged on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before hopping on my bike and pedaling furiously to my class. I made it in time, slid into my seat, and adroitly navigated the discussion of a text I hadn’t actually had time to read (ah, college). Everything seemed fine . . . until I began the ride back to my apartment.

About halfway there, I noticed something lying in the middle of the sidewalk. As I approached the object, it started to look familiar. Too familiar. Unacceptably familiar. I stopped a few feet away and stared at it, aghast.

There, lying in the middle of the sidewalk of one of the busiest streets in Davidson, was a pair of my underwear.


I know it’s traumatic. Just try to think of lemon raspberry squares.

My brain could not process the visual information it was receiving. Instead, it was cycling through myriad half-formed thoughts: Wha–? How in the world–?

I finally pieced together that my underwear must have been clinging to my jeans when I grabbed them out of the dryer. The fact that they fell off in the middle of the sidewalk was bad enough, but it was nothing compared to the realization that they might not have fallen off — that I might’ve worn them straight into class!

Just to make sure you have a clear picture in your brain, these were not my nice, normal underwear. They were my cute underwear, with little purple trim all over them. And they were lying about 100 feet from a college campus. This situation had no doubt been conjuring up images of drunken debauchery in passersby’s minds for the past hour while I’d sat in class, blissfully unaware.

And if there’s anything I was not, it was drunken, debauched, or scandalous in any way. I was as straight-laced as a new sneaker.

Standing there, staring at this pair of underwear on the sidewalk for way too long to seem inconspicuous, I tried to get a handle on my racing thoughts. However improbable, the idea that someone could link this undergarment to me and misunderstand how it arrived on the sidewalk made me flush with embarrassment.

Also, what was I supposed to do about this situation? I began to debate: could I possibly pick them up? They were some of my favorite underwear, after all. But if anyone saw me picking up a pair of underwear off the flippin’ street and taking them home, what would they think? Could I possibly leave them there? And let more people see them? And who would eventually have to pick them up?! I almost died.

After several minutes of standing with my mouth agape, I finally got myself together and rode home — without my wayward underwear. They were gone the next day and I don’t ever, ever want to know where they went or how they got there.

If you’re in need of even more fun after that humiliating tale, don’t worry. I have another distraction for you: Lemon Raspberry Squares. Think of your typical gorgeous, sweet-tart lemon squares on a buttery shortbread crust. Now mentally slather a layer of raspberry jam right down the middle. Now eat about 50 of them.

See? All better.

What’s your favorite way to get your mind off of troubles?

One year ago: Soft Sugar Cookies
Two years ago: Secret Garden Craft: Simple Luncheon Napkins

Lemon Raspberry Squares


Recipe by: Slightly adapted from Heather Christo Cooks
Yield: 12-15 bars

This is a dessert for folks who have a sweet-tooth! They’re sweet, buttery, tart, and downright delicious. They taste like sunshine.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
raspberry jam (I think I used about a cup — just eyeball enough for a thin layer), room temperature

Directions:
Note: You want your jam at room temperature here because in regular lemon squares, the lemon mixture is poured onto a hot crust. If you pour it onto cold jam instead, it takes longer for the middle to cook (don’t ask me how I know this.) I think having the jam at room temperature will help the whole dish cook more evenly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. You could also place parchment paper in the dish to form a sling if you’d rather — this will make the bars easier to remove.

Pulse the flour, powdered sugar, and salt together in a food processor to combine. Add the cold butter chunks and pulse about 10-12 times until you have the texture of coarse sand (you can also use a pastry cutter or two knives to accomplish this if you don’t have a food processor). Pour this mixture into the prepared dish and use a spatula or the bottom of a glass to press it down into an even layer. Bake it for about 15 minutes or until it’s lightly browned.

While it’s baking, stick a spoon in your jam so it’s ready to spread on quickly. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy before adding sugar while whisking constantly (if you stop whisking here, the sugar will “cook” the eggs, and you don’t want that!) Once the sugar and eggs are combined, add in the flour and the lemon juice, continuing to whisk. Spread the jam in a thin layer over the entire hot crust. Then pour the lemon mixture over the jam.

Stick the entire dish back into the oven and bake 15-25 minutes (this is such a wide range because the temperature of my jam might’ve made my baking time longer — it took my bars around 25 minutes to get pretty set.) Start checking at 15 minutes by giving the pan a little jiggle. The lemon mixture should be about set (slight jiggle only) and a light golden brown. If it starts to get too dark before it’s set, cover the pan with foil as it finishes baking.

When the bars are done, remove the dish to a cooling rack to cool completely before cutting (if you don’t cool them completely, I’m betting they’ll be runny, so be patient!) Use a sharp knife to cut the bars and serve them. You can sprinkle powdered sugar from a sifter over the top for decoration, but the bars are very sweet already, so go easy!

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