Lemon Squares

Lemon squares are one of my very favorite desserts, so I decided to make them for a bridal shower I was hosting this past weekend. As I was making them, I realized I have not yet posted my recipe on my blog. Today is the day!
Lemon Squares - from BHG Cookbook
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 T flour
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup lemon juice (the juice from 3 lemons)
1/4 cup half and half (can also use light cream, or milk)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt.

Cut in butter until dough resembles coarse crumbs.

Press firmly into a well greased 9x13 baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile, make filling.

Mix together eggs, sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and half-and half.

Pour over hot crust immediately out of the oven.

Continue baking for 15-20 minutes until center is set.

Cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into bars and store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 3 dozen bars.

Shaina's Best Brownie's Ever

My friend Shaina and I like to talk about food. A lot. We talk about the food we are eating, the food we wish we were eating, and sometimes, the food we never want to eat again. So when I told her I wanted to make brownies as a treat for the premier of Lost, and she told me she had the best brownie recipe EVER, I didn't doubt her. Because my Shaina would not lie to me. Not about something as important as chocolate.

And I was right to believe her.

Because she was telling the truth.

These are the best brownies ever. So good, in fact, that the entire pan was polished off so quickly - not solely by me, I might add - that I did not manage to even snap a photo of the finished product.

So I introduce you to the best (and quite possibly, easiest) brownies ever.

Shaina's Best Brownies Ever
2 sq unsweetened baking chocolate (or 6 T unsweetened cocoa powder)
1/2 cup butter (plus 2 T if using cocoa powder instead of baking squares - you need the extra fat)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Do not lick the spoon after this step. It won't taste good. I promise.

2. Remove from heat and blend in sugar. Do lick the spoon after this step. It will taste good. I promise.

3. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4. Stir in remaining ingredients.

5. Grease an 8x8 pan - bake around 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees, sprinkling with chocolate chips after 10 minutes.

Enjoy the yummy deliciousness - thanks to Shaina!

Lucy and Lucky's Favorite Baked Goods

The theme this week at the Ultimate Recipe Swap is Baked Goods. I haven't been doing much baking this week because we're on cutbacks after Canadian Thanksgiving and I am sick so I set out to find my favourite baked good recipe to share on the swap. As I started sorting through past recipes I've posted, I realized there is absolutely no way I can choose just one. So I decided to share a bunch of my favourites.

I'm realizing now that some of these recipes were posted before I was really into this whole food blog thing so I don't even have pictures of some. But, click on the links to see the recipes anyway!

We love cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pie Crust Cookies

We love bread

Braided Bread

Hot Cross Buns (hubby's choice - but not mine)

Banana Chocolate Chip Nut Bread
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

We love muffins

Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry Zucchini Muffins and Cherry Zucchini Muffins
Pumpkin Pie Apple Muffins

We love squares

White Chocolate Almond Toffee Blondies (No pictures? I guess I need to make these again)

Lime Squares - oh, delicious Lime Squares

What are your favourite baked goods? Head over to Life As Mom and share!

Millionaire Shortbread

Today is the day! In a few short hours, my BFF will be home from Scotland and in my arms for the giganticest huge in the history of the world.

While in Scotland, she has fallen in love with a delicacy called "Millionaire Shortbread". You may have heard this called "Caramel Shortbread". Well, in Scotland, it's often referred to as Millionaire Shortbread because it's so rich. I think that name is way cooler, too. I have two recipe books that I bought in Scotland and both have a recipe for these squares but they both had some funky ingredients that I wasn't sure about. So, when I got a Desserts cookbook for my birthday, I was very happy to see a recipe that looked perfect. I made a batch last night, to have ready as a welcome home gift for Katie.

Millionaire Shortbread - modified from perfect desserts

For the crust:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

For the filling:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 T corn syrup
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (you can even make your own - I used half of Phoebe's recipe and it was perfect)

For the topping:
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Place butter, flour and sugar for crust in a food processor and combine until crumbly. Press mixture into a greased 8x8 pan. (If you have a slightly bigger pan, it might work better because I found the cookie layer to be a little bit too thick. I don't have anything in between 8x8 and 9x13 so that was my only option).

2. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden.

3. When crust is nearly finished, begin making filling. Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is a dark golden colour and very thick. The caramel will scorch very quickly so be sure to keep stirring!

4. Pour filling over crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Place in refrigerator to cool for 1-2 hours.

5. Once filling is cool, melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 1.5 minutes. Stir and continue melting for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and runny. Spread evenly over filling.

6. Chill for 2 hours, cut into 16 bars and enjoy!

Lime Squares

Lemon squares are one of my very favourite desserts. I think most of the world would agree with me - except my husband. He hates lemon squares. Yes, I am pretty sure he is loco. So I decided to switch it up a bit and make Lime Squares and hope for a better reaction. I achieved my goal.

Lime Squares
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/3 cup lime juice (I squeezed the juice from the lime I zested which gave me just under 1/4 cup. Then I topped it up with bottled lime juice)
Sifted icing sugar

1. Combine 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour with 1/2 cup icing sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse oatmeal. Firmly press mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until brown.


2. Combine remaining 1/2 cup of flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, lime rind, and lime juice.

4. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture.

5. If desired, add a drop of lime juice to make the mixture look more lime-like. Pour over prepared crust.

6. Bake 25 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown slightly. Allow squares to cool and then sift with powdered sugar. Cut in squares and serve with strawberries and whipped cream.


This recipe is being shared in the Grocery Cart Challenge Friday Recipe Swap!