Favorite Lemon Bars

Favorite Lemon Bars

I've shared this recipe before with a coconut variation, but here it is again in its pure and simple form. After making these for work, I'm reaffirmed that they really are my favorite lemon bars.  I doubled the recipe this time and baked it in a 9x13 pan.  The crust to filling ratio comes out to 1:2 and I think it's a great balance.

Pain de Sucre Bakery

It's hard to believe it's been nearly 3 months since we returned from our Paris vacation.  Time flies and I feel like there's still so many yummy spots I haven't shared!  Pain de Sucre was a bakery at the top of my list.  One day as we were meandering the streets, we had some extra time before our dinner plans and we pulled up Pain de Sucre on Google Maps.  Walking up and down the street that Google Maps led us to, the bakery was nowhere in sight.  Could Google Maps have led us astray?!  As my spirits dipped at the lost opportunity, my husband spotted the store:

Pain de Sucre...not the bakery one.

It was the right name, but not exactly what I had in mind.  What a sad realization!  Even more sad when my husband couldn't stop laughing at how disappointed I was.

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Crumb bars are another one of my favorite go-to recipes for a quick and easy dessert.  These work well with berries though I'd be interested to try peaches one day.  I've used blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries before and they all turned out great.  This time I had a bag of cranberries that I froze way back when so those came out of the freezer and straight into this recipe.  No defrosting necessary!  I paired cranberries with lemon here, but it was kind of tart so I'd substitute orange for the lemon next time.

Once again these made their way to work and fared much better than the coffee cake!  Perhaps the notion of fruit makes it seem "healthier"?

Cranberry Crumb Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces), cut into pieces
1 egg

1 12-oz. bag cranberries, fresh or frozen (or 4 cups berries or other fruit)
1/2 cup white sugar
4 tsp cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be quite crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan, pushing down to make sure the crust is compact.
3. In another bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the cranberries. Sprinkle the berry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough evenly over the berry layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely then cut into squares. Makes about 28 squares.

Other variations:

Blueberry and lemon

Blackberry and lime

Raspberry and lemon

Peaches and orange (possibly with grated ginger)

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I made this coffee cake for the first Friday of my first week of work.  As the newbie, I will admit that my intention was to lure people to my desk so I could meet more people.  It worked to some degree, though I soon learned that many people at work are quite disciplined about eating healthy.  I did meet a few new faces but at the end of the day I was still left with a third of a pan of coffee cake.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

I cut the sugar from the original recipe and I'm glad that I did since I still found it a little sweet for my liking, though it does pair well with a cup of coffee. The top crust had a fragile, sugary crunch where the batter had caramelized but you can still spot the sprinkling of sugar granules that I could have done without.  I might have also thought it was too sweet since this was the first time I used Kirkland Semisweet Chocolate Chips (surprisingly, I just bought this for the first time) I usually use Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Pound Plus bar since I like my chocolate dark.  After falling in love with dark chocolate for so long, it's hard to go back to semisweet and milk chocolate!  Give this dessert-for-breakfast a try - I'll admit that I wasn't that bummed that I had a third of the pan left and it sure didn't last long at home.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1 cups (200 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Filling and Topping:
2 cups or 12 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate bars
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9x13 baking pan or glass Pyrex pan. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon for filling and topping.
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.  
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Alternately mix in sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture until both are used up and the batter is smooth and very thick.  
5. In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff and then fold into batter.
6. Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spoon remaining cake batter over the filling in the pan. Use an offset spatula to gently spread batter evenly over the filling and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture and chocolate chips.  Using your palm, gently press the chocolate chips into the batter a bit to make sure they stick. 
7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Let cool, slice, and enjoy!

Strawberry Summer Cake

Strawberry Summer Cake

Inspired by another baker friend, I bookmarked this strawberry cake recipe to try out since strawberries were on sale recently.  I'm usually not a fan of baking cakes, particularly because it's hard to taste test a cake before serving it to others.  Previous times I've shown up somewhere bearing cake with a missing piece, or I just give the disclaimer that I hoped it turned out okay since I didn't get to taste it yet.  I guess a good comfort level among friends doesn't hurt.  Thankfully, everyone liked this cake and agreed that it was a great recipe - flavorful yet not too sweet, with a texture more dense and crumbly than a regular yellow cake.  I added lemon zest to the batter and I think it added a nice touch.

Mille Feuille in Paris

As we were nearing our last days in Paris, I started making a list of items I still wanted to eat.  This probably would have been more helpful in the beginning, but with 9 days I thought I'd have plenty of time.  Oh, how naive and wrong I was!

Mille feuille dessert from Pain de Sucre

Near the top of the list was a mille feuille dessert.  Also known as a Napoleon, mille feuille means "1000 leaves" and is typically comprised of three layers of puff pastry filled with two layers of pastry cream.  The patisserie Pain de Sucre was already on my list and I was even more eager to go after I read this post about their mille feuille.  Sadly I didn't have time to try several mille feuille desserts to pick my favorite, so the next best thing was to take the word of someone else who's done all the research!

Galettes & Crêpes in Paris

Little Breizh: Sea chic galette, butter galette, & side salad

I researched beforehand and knew I wanted to try traditional Breton galettes and crêpes in Paris.  Galettes are made out of buckwheat flour while crêpes are made of white flour .  Galettes, such as this plum one, are also freeform pies that make for an easy, rustic dessert.  The two can be quite different though equally delicious.

Breton galettes, which hone from the Brittany region of France, consist of just buckwheat flour, water, and salt.  The galettes come out browned and crispy with a nutty flavor from the toasted buckwheat flour.  Fillings are simple, often consisting of emmental cheese, ham, and a sunny-side up egg.  I wasn't used to seeing savory crêpes/galettes like these.  The ones in the US are often folded into cones and stuffed with a variety of ingredients and sauces.  I loved the simplicity of these galettes and especially how crispy, buttery, and flavorful they were.

Sunday in Paris, Part 2

This is the continued recap of our first Sunday in Paris, a day when most shops and restaurants are closed but some neighborhoods, like Le Marais, remain open.  Catch up on Part 1 of our day to read about the other stops we made along our foodie afternoon walk.    

Pierre Hermé: Yogurt & Lime Macaron

We continued our walk around Le Marais and found ourselves at Pierre Hermé. They were celebrating Macaron Day (March 20) and customers got a free macaron with a donation of spare change. We selected 4 macarons to try out: yogurt/lime, chocolate/fig/foie gras, fresh mint/red berries, and pistachio/strawberry. I first tried Pierre Hermé macarons in Tokyo and then again when my parents brought a box back from their Paris trip. I loved how among the typical flavors (pistachio, lemon, chocolate, salted caramel, etc.) there were also very unique flavors with atypical ingredients (foie gras, yogurt, truffle, etc.) that seemed to change throughout the years. People often say there are two camps of Parisian macaron eaters: Pierre Hermé or Ladurée. I will expound further on this in a future post, but for now I'll say that of all the macarons I tried in Paris, the ones from Pierre Hermé are my favorite.

Our next stop at Rose Bakery was our original late lunch spot, but by the time we got there we were still full from our previous snacks. Rose Bakery is a British-themed cafe opened by a Franco-British couple. They're known for their quiches, salads, and baked goods, all of which are sourced from local and organic farms. We picked up an aubergine (aka eggplant) quiche and lemon polenta cake to save for dinner.

Sunday in Paris, Part 1

Comme à Lisbonne: Freshly baked pasteis de nata

I've been wanting to recap and share some of our Paris highlights but I've been stuck on how to best organize all the information and eats we had. Do I share our daily walking tours or compare similar food items we had throughout the trip? I may end up doing a bit of both, but for now I will share about what we did our first Sunday in Paris.

On Sunday, the majority of shops, grocery markets, and restaurants are closed in Paris. This may be unwelcome news for those visiting Paris for only a few days. Thankfully, a few neighborhoods remain open including the lively Le Marais district, which spreads across the 3rd and 4th arrondissements on the Right Bank of the Seine River. You'll still find some shops closed here, but the majority of them will be open catering to the crowds of locals and tourists. It was neat walking around the narrow streets, seeing locals walking their dogs or pushing baby strollers.

A quick disclaimer before we start: my main interests when I travel are eating and walking. I don't mind walking instead of taking the metro and I often walk so I can eat more. It's a happy balance.

World Peace Cookies

World Peace Cookies

My favorite chocolate chip cookie comes from Dorie Greenspan, who originally got the recipe from Pierre Hermé.  Supposedly the cookie's name arose from Dorie's neighbor who commented that a daily dose of these cookies would be enough to ensure world peace.  The name stuck since then and I can attest that these cookies have brought much joy (and peace offerings) to those around me.
 

This cookie doesn't have the texture of your typical chewy or crunchy chocolate chip cookie.  It's actually almost like a shortbread, but kind of sandy as it crumbles and melts in your mouth with each bite.  It's important to know this as I've had a few friends wonder if they followed the recipe wrong when their cookies fell apart more than they expected.  It's also quite a buttery cookie but don't be scared off by the buttery footprints on your cookie sheet - it's totally worth it.

Look at all those chocolate chunks!

Reasons why I love this recipe:

New York City Eats

Central Park in NYC (Spring 2010, I forgot to take a picture this time!)

Last fall we were in New York City for my good friend's wedding. We stayed a few extra days to see some sights eat and it was certainly worthwhile. We had all the old favorites: Levain Bakery cookies, Shake Shack burgers, Sugar Sweet Sunshine banana pudding, Halal cart chicken and rice, Joe's Shanghai dumplings, Del Posto lunch, and Momofuku pork buns. We also hit up some new spots we hadn't been to before: Marea, Tabata Ramen, Yuji Ramen, Motorino Pizza, wd-50, Mamoun's Falafel, A.B. Biagi gelato, and Domnique Ansel bakery.

Stone Fruit Galettes

Last summer our neighbors gave us a bag of plums and peaches from their backyard.  I wish we had something to exchange with them in return, but our poor fruit trees have been barren for many years.  In the peak years, we actually had some pretty tasty asian pears and white peaches, but they were often smaller than tennis balls.  Thus, I'm thankful to share in the bounty of others who have greener thumbs.

Plum galette with a flaky crust

I'd always read about galettes and was drawn to their rustic nature and simplicity compared to a formal pie. I found them relatively easy to make and impressive-looking despite the imperfections.  It's probably one of the few desserts that actually embraces imperfections!  I'm usually deterred from making crusts from scratch just because working with butter can get so sticky, messy, and bothersome to clean up after.  I'm hoping that the more I try it out the less bothersome it'll become.

Coconut Lemon Bars

It's hard finding a lemon bar recipe that has just the right balance of sugary sweetness and lemony flavor without being too sour or sickening sweet. I got this lemon bar recipe from a good friend and have been using it ever since.  I think the best part is actually the shortbread crust, which holds up its buttery cookie texture while cradling the lemon custard filling.  Out of curiosity I sprinkled a layer of shredded coconut on top before baking.  What resulted was a nice toasty, chewy coconut layer added to a well-balanced lemony treat!

Lemon Bars 
Makes 16 pieces

Crust:
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line an 8"x8" square pan along the bottom and up all 4 sides with foil or parchment paper.
2. Crust: Cut butter into chunks and melt in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 25-30 min, or until the crust is well browned at the edges and lightly browned in the center.
3. Filling: While the crust is baking, stir together the sugar and flour in a medium bowl until well mixed. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. When the crust is ready, turn the oven down to 300 F and slide the rack out without removing the pan. Pour the filling over the hot crust. If using, sprinkle shredded coconut evenly over the top.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the topping is puffed at the edges and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is tapped. Set on a rack to cool completely in the pan. 
5. Lift the ends of the foil or parchment liner and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into sixteen 2-inch bars. May be stored, airtight, in the fridge. Lemon bars keep well for about 3 days; after 3 days the crust softens but the bars still taste quite good for the remainder of a week. 

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

These shortbread cookies were quite amazing.  Full of coffee and chocolate flavor, soft and crumbly with a sandy texture.  They were definitely buttery and  one cookie was perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth.  In my first attempt at this recipe, I somehow mixed up my measuring cups and accidentally used only half of the flour required.  Imagine my horror as I watched through the oven door to see my shortbread melt into a flat pool of dough!  The messed up batch was overly buttery but still tasted so good that my husband refused to let me throw them away.  Instead, he stashed them out of my reach and polished them off within the following week.  I would make this recipe again, but before I do I'd like to explore some other shortbread varieties out there.  

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies from Smitten Kitchen

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Toffee Cookies

What a mouthful of ingredients!  This recipe is reminiscent of one of my favorite cookies, a Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Toffee Cookie, that I have yet to share on the blog.  I used my favorite Ghiradelli chocolate chips, though chocolate chunks from Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate would work well too.  This is hands-down a chewy cookie, made so from the oatmeal and toasted coconut.  It was almost difficult to distinguish the chewiness of the oatmeal from the coconut, but there is definitely a subtle coconut flavor.  The best textural component comes from the toffee bits that melt while baking, forming slightly crisp bottoms and edges.  Remember to let these cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack, otherwise the toffee bits may still stick to the baking sheet.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Toffee Cookies
Makes 2 dozen (3" diameter cookies)     

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (or quick oats)
1/2 cup toffee bits
1 cup chocolate chips (dark works best in my opinion)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread shredded coconut in a thin layer.  Toast coconut in the oven for 5-7 minutes, stirring halfway through.  When coconut is lightly browned, remove from oven and set aside to cool.  Keep lined cookie sheet to use for baking the cookies.  
2. Raise oven temperature and preheat oven to 375F.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. In a large bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar until mixture is light and smooth.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.  Add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.  Add flour mixture and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Add oatmeal, toasted coconut, and toffee bits and stir. The batter will be very thick at this point.  By hand, fold in the chocolate chips. 
4. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons (medium OXO cookie scoop) of dough onto a lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart from each other.  
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are firm and cookies are lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

As I was cleaning through my baking supplies, I found an opened bottle of molasses and decided to use it up by making some Christmas season cookies.  I love this molasses cookie recipe!  The cookies spread out into a thin layer and they really are very soft and chewy.  I threw some dark chocolate chips into half the batch and it added a nice contrast to the sweet cookie.  These are the perfect cookies for ice cream sandwiches - thin and chewy, yet firm enough not to crumble apart when you take a bite.  I can't remember if I made any adjustments to this recipe, so I'll just direct you to the source.  Enjoy!

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies
from Everyday Food, Martha Stewart

Strawberry Coconut Mojito Sorbet

Inspired by this delicious flavor at Coolhaus, I gave it a try this past weekend using a basic strawberry sorbet recipe.  The sorbet uses coconut milk, making it slightly creamy yet dairy free.  The mint flavor is subtle and adds a nice refreshing factor.  Shredded coconut was swirled within the sorbet, adding a great chewy texture.  Right out of the ice cream maker, the sorbet was the perfect smooth consistency for eating.  After freezing, it does become a little more icy.  I'd definitely make this again!

Strawberry Coconut Mojito Sorbet
makes about 1 pint

1 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1 lb fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped
1 Tbsp coconut rum
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1. Combine coconut milk, sugar, and chopped mint leaves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 1 hour to allow the mint to steep.
2. Add coconut milk mixture (no need to strain out the mint leaves), strawberries, lime juice, and rum to a blender.  Puree until smooth.  Chill mixture in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Following your ice cream maker's instructions, place puree mixture into the ice cream maker and churn until thick and creamy.  About 5 minutes before the ice cream maker is done, add the sweetened shredded coconut to the sorbet.  Serve immediately when done or transfer to an airtight container to store in the freezer.  

Mochi Egg Custard Tart @ 85C Bakery Cafe - Irvine, CA

Those from Southern California are probably well acquainted with 85C Bakery Cafe, a Taiwanese bakery chain known for its sea salt coffee, countless varieties of fresh bread, and unending long lines and crowds.  I live 5 minutes away from the bakery yet almost never go unless it's with out-of-town visitors.  The bread is indeed delicious, but the crowds keep me away.  This past weekend, some friends brought over a dozen mochi egg custard tarts fresh out of the oven.  They even called ahead to ensure they'd get a fresh tray.  I've had egg tarts from 85C plenty of times, but never had I had one that was so fresh that it was still warm when I received it.  The crust was flaky and crisp, its sweetness fully evident.  The egg custard was warm and the layer of mochi on the bottom of the tart was soft and chewy.  The ones I've had before always had limp crusts lacking that sweet crisp and a mochi layer that was more tough and stiff.  What a difference!  This certainly renewed my desire for 85C Bakery pastries.  :)

85C Bakery Cafe
Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center
2700 Alton Pkwy, Ste 123
Irvine, CA 92606

Snow Princess Dessert House - Hacienda Heights, CA

Shaved snow may just well be the next dessert craze to hit Southern California, following the spread of frozen yogurt a few years ago.  I first had it in Taiwan, where its unique texture captured my interests.  Fruit juice or other flavors are typically mixed with condensed milk and then frozen into a block of ice.  Upon ordering, the ice block is shaved by a special machine that produces ribbons of flavored milk ice.  It's light yet creamy, melting like snowflakes on your tongue.

The shaved snow at Snow Princess uses fresh fruit and no dairy.  It was certainly flavorful but I prefer the sweet creaminess from places that use condensed milk in their snow (like Class 302).    

--- Food/Drinks ---

The snow is probably the most unique part about this dessert house - it has a soft ribboned look that ends up creamy and melty in your mouth. All of the snow flavors I tried were good including lychee, green apple, strawberry and yogurt.  Portion size is a plus.  The orders were piled about 6-8 inches high with the toppings decorating the bottom edges.  Definitely enough to be shared between two people.

I didn't think the toppings were very good.  Fresh fruit would've been a big plus.  The popping boba is a little on the sweet side making chewing a little strange.  I think the primary purpose of the rainbow jelly is for adding color, I didn't think it added very much to the snow in terms of taste.

---  Service ---

Average service.  There is a $3 per person minimum when sitting down.  This means that if splitting a snow dish three ways, you'll be asked to order fries or something else.  Typically I would expect this minimum from a super busy place, but since the place was nearly empty, I would've liked them to be a little more lenient in this area.

--- Environment ---

I visited with friends on a Saturday night, it was very empty.  The tables, chairs and room decorations were appealing and colorful, typical of what you might expect from a shaved ice cafe.

--- Parking---

Located within a plaza, the nearby stores and restaurants can be very popular requiring a short walk from your car.  Parking spaces are on the smaller end but other no problems finding parking.

Fudge Brownies with Almonds

These quick and easy fudge brownies take after Mark Bittman's recipe in How To Cook Everything, The Basics.  I followed the tweaks to make nutty brownies by adding toasted almonds and subbing 1/4 cup of almond flour for 1/4 cup regular flour.  These came out more fudge-like than I expected.  The almonds were a nice addition and the almond flour contributed to the moist, fudge consistency.  For lack of a square baking pan, I baked them in the cast iron skillet which resulted in thinner brownies as well.  Definitely an easy recipe, but I prefer my brownies to be chewier and I like using regular dark chocolate more than unsweetened chocolate.

Fudge Brownies with Almonds
makes 9-12 slices

8 Tbsp butter, plus a little more to grease the pan
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a an 8x8 square baking pan with butter, or line with parchment paper.
2. Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir constantly until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and continue stirring until smooth.
3. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar until well combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined.  Gently stir in flour, almond flour, salt, and vanilla.  Carefully fold in the toasted almonds.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until brownies are just set in the middle.  Cool until set, cut, and serve.