Mrs. Smith's Lemon Squares

When I was in 5th or 6th grade I took piano lessons from Mrs. Smith, who lived around the corner from us. Every so often she had a recital featuring all her students. I don't know which was more exciting--playing in the recital or eating one of her fantastic lemon squares, which she made for each recital. I don't know if Mrs. Smith is around anymore, but I will always think of her whenever I make these delicious, citrusy, sweets.

MRS. SMITH'S LEMON SQUARES

Crust
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 C flour

Topping
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C sugar
3 T flour
juice and rind of 1 1/2 lemons (NOTE: 2 if they're small--a microplane is great for zesting the lemons)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cream butter and powdered sugar together, then mix in flour til blended. Spread on bottom of square pan and bake for about 15 minutes. Crust should be soft and pale--not raw-looking but just slightly set. Meanwhile, mix together the topping ingredients. When crust comes out of the oven, pour topping over crust and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until topping is set (not wiggling). Cool, cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Barefoot Bloggers: Easy Sticky Buns--or "You Might Want to Have Your Sweat Pants Handy"

Ina, Ina, Ina. You'll stop at nothing to fatten us all up, won't you? You don't care about our New Year's resolutions or our tight jeans, is that it? It's all about the butter, isn't it, Ina? This installment of "Barefoot Bloggers" features Easy Sticky Buns. This recipe was chosen by Melissa of Made by Melissa.
This recipe WAS easy and very good. You DO need to discard the ends of the roll as instructed by Ina--just listen to her--she knows what she's doing. Also--make sure you check on the rolls toward the end of cooking--burned raisins and blackened puff pastry are NOT a good combo. I mean, that's what I hear.





INA GARTEN'S EASY STICKY BUNS
from Back to Basics

12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 C pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3 oz/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled--NOTE-you may need a bit more
2/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 t ground cinnamon
1 C raisins

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. NOTE: It's a good idea to check on them at about 20 and 25 minutes--you don't want to burn these babies!. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely.

Simple and easy, right? Unbutton your jeans, eat, and enjoy! Great for a brunch too!

Grandma's Toffee Bars

Every time I used to go to my grandma's house there was something yummy there. Both my grandmothers were great cooks AND bakers and one of my mom's mom's specialties was Toffee Bars. There were usually some in the freezer and, while I preferred to wait til mine thawed, my brothers liked to eat them straight from the freezer. My grandfather always claimed ownership of the little bits that crumbled off during cutting!

GRANDMA'S TOFFEE BARS

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C light brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 C flour
1 small bag semisweet chocolate chips
chopped nuts (Grandma always used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the vanilla and the egg yolk. Then mix in the flour til completely blended. Spread on bottom of square baking pan and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes--check after 20 minutes--cookie bottom should be set but pale. Then turn oven off and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and return pan to oven for 3-4 minutes or til chocolate is melted and spreadable. Spread over top to cover and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Wait til cooled slightly before cutting into squares.

Banana Bread with a Fantastic Twist!!!!

I'm always searching for great banana bread recipes because I always have old--I mean--extra--bananas around.  A while ago I saw a recipe for a Banana-Apple Bread on another blog and have been meaning to make it.  The other day I got around to it and it was amazing.  The apples--which you caramelize--make the bread incredibly moist and delicious.  The combination of spices, caramelized apple chunks, and bananas is just perfect.  This bread is so delicious that Mr. Minivan ate some and immediately asked me to stop baking--he just can't resist eating it. So here--via
Dinner and Dessert, who got it from A Whisk and a Spoon by way of the Sweet Melissa Baking Book, is Banana Apple Bread. Make it today!

BANANA APPLE BREAD

Apples:

2 T unsalted butter
3 T firmly packed brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t pure vanilla extract

Banana Bread:

2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t kosher salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 C orange juice
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 C mashed very ripe bananas (2-3 bananas) NOTE: I used about 3 1/2 bananas


With your oven rack in the center of your oven, preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour (or use a baking spray) a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan.

Prepare the apples: Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and saute til tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For the banana bread:
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the orange juice and vanilla. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture. Mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool IN pan on wire rack for about 20 minutes and then unmold loaf onto wire rack to continue cooling.

Banana Cake

There is this cute little place in L.A. called Clementine's.  They do a huge lunch business and have great salads, sandwiches, and desserts.  The day I brought a piece of banana cake home Boys #1 and 2 practically licked the bakery box it came in--it was THAT good.  So I was very happy to see a recipe in the L.A. Times a couple of weeks ago for Clementine's Banana Cake--along with the secret ingredient that makes this case light and delicious.  It is pastry flour (not cake flour). I made this cake for the brunch we had last weekend and everyone loved it!   Here goes:

CLEMENTINE'S BANANA CAKE

2 2/3 C pastry flour  NOTE:  I used whole wheat pastry flour

2 2/3 C sugar

3/4 t baking powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 t kosher salt

3 large or 4 small very ripe bananas

3 eggs

1/2 C buttermilk

3/4 C canola oil

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F.  Into a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mash the bananas.  Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until each is completely incorporated, then mix in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.  Finally, mix the dry ingredients into the batter just until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a 9-by-13 inch greased pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (I would check at 30 minutes), until golden-brown on top, a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool on a rack.  Frost with cream cheese frosting when cool.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 C plus 1 1/2 T cream cheese, at room temperature

5 T butter, room temperature

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 T sour cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium blow with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and there are no lumps.  Add the butter and whip until incorporated, then add the powdered sugar and the sour cream.  Frost the top of the cooled cake, then slice and serve.