KimKelly
03-22-2005, 08:45 PM
I made these tonight and we all really liked them. I'm attempting to try things that don't have chocolate... broaden my horizons if you will!!! I think these will be our Easter dessert.
Kim
Iced Lemon Shortbread Bars
These bars are flavored with lemon juice,zest and extract and enhanced with a thin layer of sprightly lemon icing. They are simple in the manner of all traditional shortbreads, yet elegant and sophisticated, too. I like them with a fruit compote or a cup of tea.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 TBS sugar
2 TBS finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon extract
LEMON ICING
2 TBS sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan by about 2 inches.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour and cornstarch; set aside. In a food processor, process the powdered sugar, sugar, and lemon zest until the sugar is yellow and the zest in finely pulverized, about 3 minutes, stopping and scrabpin down the bol sides several times. Add the butter, salt, lemon juice and lemon extract and process until well blended and fluffy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flou mixture over the butter mixture and process in on/off pulses until well blended and smooth, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides several times.
Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap; pat the dough intoa 6 in disk. Fold the wrap around the dough. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, or until the dough is cool and slightly firmer.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Press the dough evenly into the pan. lay a sheet of wax paper on the dough, then press it out to the edges until the top is flat and smooth. Peel off and discard the paper.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 37-45 minutes, or until pale golden all over and just slightly darker at the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until completely cooled.
Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the shortbread to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil.
For the Icing:
In a food prcessor, combine the sugar and lemon zest and prcess until the sugar is lightly colored and zest if finely pulverized, about 1 minutes, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides once or twice. Add the lemon juice and corn syrup and prcess until the sugar dissolves. Add the powdered sugar and process until evenly incorporated, scrapind down the isdes of the bowl, if necessary. Add enough water, a few drops at a time, to yield a fluid but not rnny icing.
Immediately spread the icing evenly over the shortbread. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Using a large, sharp knife, trim off and discard the uneven edges; work carefully, as the shortbread is slightly crumbly. Wipe the knife clean between cuts. Cut the shortbread into 24 "fingers". Let stand until icing completely sets, about 1 hour.
Store in a single layer or layered with wax paper in an airtight container for up to 10 days, or freeze up to 1 month.
The All American Cookie Book by nancy Baggett, Pg. 173
Kim's Notes:
I followed the shortbread recipe exactly as written. It did take me longer to cook though.
For the icing, I did not use the sugar to pulverize with the zest. I rehydrated some Penzey's zest in the lemon juice and just mixed it with the powdered sugar. The icing was tasty!
Kim
Iced Lemon Shortbread Bars
These bars are flavored with lemon juice,zest and extract and enhanced with a thin layer of sprightly lemon icing. They are simple in the manner of all traditional shortbreads, yet elegant and sophisticated, too. I like them with a fruit compote or a cup of tea.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 TBS sugar
2 TBS finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon extract
LEMON ICING
2 TBS sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan by about 2 inches.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour and cornstarch; set aside. In a food processor, process the powdered sugar, sugar, and lemon zest until the sugar is yellow and the zest in finely pulverized, about 3 minutes, stopping and scrabpin down the bol sides several times. Add the butter, salt, lemon juice and lemon extract and process until well blended and fluffy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flou mixture over the butter mixture and process in on/off pulses until well blended and smooth, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides several times.
Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap; pat the dough intoa 6 in disk. Fold the wrap around the dough. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, or until the dough is cool and slightly firmer.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Press the dough evenly into the pan. lay a sheet of wax paper on the dough, then press it out to the edges until the top is flat and smooth. Peel off and discard the paper.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 37-45 minutes, or until pale golden all over and just slightly darker at the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until completely cooled.
Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the shortbread to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil.
For the Icing:
In a food prcessor, combine the sugar and lemon zest and prcess until the sugar is lightly colored and zest if finely pulverized, about 1 minutes, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides once or twice. Add the lemon juice and corn syrup and prcess until the sugar dissolves. Add the powdered sugar and process until evenly incorporated, scrapind down the isdes of the bowl, if necessary. Add enough water, a few drops at a time, to yield a fluid but not rnny icing.
Immediately spread the icing evenly over the shortbread. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Using a large, sharp knife, trim off and discard the uneven edges; work carefully, as the shortbread is slightly crumbly. Wipe the knife clean between cuts. Cut the shortbread into 24 "fingers". Let stand until icing completely sets, about 1 hour.
Store in a single layer or layered with wax paper in an airtight container for up to 10 days, or freeze up to 1 month.
The All American Cookie Book by nancy Baggett, Pg. 173
Kim's Notes:
I followed the shortbread recipe exactly as written. It did take me longer to cook though.
For the icing, I did not use the sugar to pulverize with the zest. I rehydrated some Penzey's zest in the lemon juice and just mixed it with the powdered sugar. The icing was tasty!