June 24, 2025
Hello Foodie Friends
A favorite picnic treats growing up was something our family friend Janette would always do...lemon bars! Sounded gross as a kid but you couldn't get enough of them (if you didn't inhale the powdered sugar that is - ever do that?) Well we still love them and they make a great 4th of July treat when you get the blueberries and red gel to make the bars look like flags. Check it out nothing like homemade even if you skip the flaggy look!
Enjoy!
Marzee
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MINI FLAG LEMON BARS
INGREDIENTS:
Shortbread Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter , softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Lemon Filling
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Toppings
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup blueberries
1 tube red gel frosting
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Prepare the shortbread crust: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed low, and beat in the flour and lemon rind until well combined; pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake the crust 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool the crust in the pan on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare the Lemon Filling: In a 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup granulated sugar, the lemon juice, water, and cornstarch until well combined. Heat the mixture to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook 1 to 2 minutes longer or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. In a medium-size bowl, with a wire whisk, beat the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, eggs and the lemon rind until thick and lemon colored. Slowly beat the lemon mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
Bake the cookies 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is firm. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut the cookies into 6 rectangular bars. place the bars on a serving plate. Sprinkle confectioners sugar over the cookies. Create stripes across the bars with the red gel frosting. Place 6 blueberries in the top corner of each bar.
MARZEE's CORNER
Tip for the ultimate hot-day treat...watermelon! All you need is a knife, platter and some napkins.
--> 1st HOW TO SPY A GREAT WATERMELON - 3 things:
1. Choose a firm, symmetrical fruit that is free of bruises, cuts and dents.
2. Before you buy, pick up your melon. The heavier it feels, the better -- a good watermelon is 92% water, which makes up most of its weight.
3. on the underside of the watermelon there should be a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
--> HOW TO CUT A WATERMELON:
Cut watermelon in half lengthwise.
Cut each half in half again lengthwise.
Cut each quarter into slices as pictured above.
DE-SEEDING A WATERMELON:
Cut watermelon in half, then in quarters. Cut through the flesh of the melon along the seed line with a pairing knife. Now, lift off the piece of the melon you just cut. Using a fork, scrape the seeds from the piece you just removed and the remaining flesh on the rind.