Lemon Bars

I love a good lemon bar!  The buttery crust and the sweet tart lemon goes so well with coffee.
They are so easy to make and so delicious!  These keep well in an air tight container.

Basically you make the crust then pat it down into a 9X13 pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.   Then you just whisk together the lemon filling and pour over baked crust and bake another 15 to 20 minutes. 

There is that old saying it's as easy as pie....well this is as easy as pie!  Just make sure you always use real butter!!  I will be honest and say I used Real Lemon Juice out of the bottle.   I didn't use to buy it but found for baking it's really good and easy.  So now I buy it at Sam's, it comes in two large bottles for a pretty good price!

Cream together the butter and sugar

add flour and combine well

 just press it into the bottom of the pan (I have had it come out crumbly before so if it does just press it to the bottom of the pan).  Usually thougth it looks like this above.

Bake crust for 20 minutes or until golden brown

For the lemon filling add sugar and flour

whisk in lemon juice and eggs

pour of crust and bake for 20 minutes

Buttery crust  with a lemony tart topped with powder sugar!

Lemon Bars

1 cup butter

½ cup sugar

2 cups flour

4 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ cup flour

½ cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and ½ sugar.  Press into the bottom of a 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 ½ cups sugar and a ¼ cup flour.   Whisk in the lemon juice and eggs.  Pour over baked crust.

Bake an additional 20 minutes in preheated oven.  The bars will firm up as they cool.

After cooled cut into 2 inch squares

Blueberry Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

I had found several recipes for blueberry cake but they just didn't seem to be what I was looking for so I decided to make a cake out of the blueberry muffin recipe I have on here!  Oh my, good thinking!  The muffins are sooooo moist and good that everytime I saw a recipe I thought nah cause I was comparing it to that recipe!  So glad I tried this!

This recipe not only makes a beautiful 3 layer cake but you can make muffins, bundt cake and even blueberry bread by using a loaf pan!  Cooking time would differ on all so I'll give estimated times below. 

I don't have step by step pic guide but it's a very easy recipe!  Just make sure you fold in the blueberries so they don't get crushed by the beater.  The sour cream really makes this blueberry delight so moist!

I've made the muffins over and over again! The cake I will make again, I am sure of that!

The lemon cream cheese icing goes so nicely with the blueberries!

This batter makes nice size layers!

This recipe makes almost 30 muffins!

Truly delicious and moist!

Blueberry  Cake or Blueberry Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups sour cream
2 cups blueberries

1) In a large bowl, beat eggs. Gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.

2) Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries

If you are making a cake grease and flour 3 round pans and evenly pour/ scoop batter (will be thick) into pans.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let cool for 15 to 30 minutes before taking out of pans

For Muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
 Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
4) Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 24-30 muffins.

The only thing I did different was to take a couple Tablespoons of the flour and roll the fresh blueberries in it so that they didn’t spread out and make purple batter.

Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a bundt pan and pour batter in making it even on all sides.

Bake for about 50 minutes.  Check on occasionally after 40 minutes.  Test to see if done in middle before you take it out.

Icing for Cake -

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

1 8oz cream cheese softened

2 sticks of butter softened

Powder sugar about 2/3’ of a bag

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp of lemon zest

Cream together softened cream cheese and butter then add powder sugar

A little at a time then add vanilla. Add lemon juice and zest and mix well!

You can add 2 T of milk or water if it’s too thick (the more you beat it the softer it gets)

Lemon Angel Pie

 I had this when I was in Minnesota for vacation.  My friend Shari brought it to the lake to share with the family.  Oh my it was heaven!  I'm such a sweet lover anyway and oh how I love lemon!  I got the recipe and came home and made 3 or 4 of these for different things.

Don't skimp and buy the tub of  whip cream (like cool whip)  because it would change the taste of this delightful dessert!   It's the little things like making your own whip cream that makes you stand out with your desserts!            

Bottom Layer

4 egg whites

1  cup sugar

Butter 9” pie pan.  Beat 4 egg whites in 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth and stiff.

Put meringue in pie pan and depress center.  Put pie in cold oven, immediately set

Time for 60 minutes then turn oven to 270 degrees.  When oven reaches 270 turn it to 300 degrees.  Meringue will bake for a total of 60 minutes.

Lemon Filling

4 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

4 T lemon juice

Beat 4 egg yolks and add the ½ cup sugar gradually then the 4T lemon juice.

Cook in double boiler till thick (like pudding).  Cool-cover with foil if not using

Right away.

Whip Cream  1 pt whipping cream- sweeten to taste  (I use about a 1/3 cup of powder sugar and  1 tsp vanilla)

Layers

1.      Meringue

2.     ½ of the whipping cream

3.     Lemon filling

4.     1/2 of whipping cream