long week lemon bars and the mexican appreciation society

Wow. A lot has happened in this past week.  A lot. First, I had soccer tournament over the weekend that ended in a concussion. So, bye school for three days. Let me just say, it was only fun for the first day. I wasn't allowed any procrastinating watching of game of thrones or any screen time whatsoever. Although I admit, I cheated. WhatsApp simply couldn't be left for three whole days.

After that, it was right back into the swing of school and getting back results from mock exams. If anyone is wondering how I did, lets just say that some of the days where I baked instead of studied could have possibly affected my grades. But other than a few biting comments and a bit of learning of the lower alphabet, I came out of these mock exams mostly unscathed. Just itching to bake. 

We went to pick up my mom in Johannesburg and there, we ate magnificently. One night we had a bistro type experience with an unimaginable duck pie. The next day, we felt oh-so-hipster, as louis and I made a pit stop to get boba. 

For lunch that day, we drove 18 km to the other side of the city and discovered we were still more hipster at this mexican joint called Perron, the mexican appreciation society. We stuffed ourselves with tacos; slow-roasted pork and fish. The vegetarian option didn't slack either. Stuffed ancho chiles. For dessert, churros. Louis and I also sipped at our dad's margarita and had our own virgin mojitos. Coming from LA, we definitely have had our share of quality mexican food, and this Joberg spot definitely satisfied a well-developed craving. 

Here is a lemon bar equation: (a nod to the calculus I'm struggling with as my pictures upload)

an abundance of lemons+my disregard for eating less sugar+baking itch= lemon bars

Lemon bars (once again made from the ugly lemons from our tree)

adapted from "Chef John's lemon bars"

This lemon bar is with a traditional 1:1 ratio of lemon to crust. If you want more lemon, increase the filling measurements by 1/2. 

*the type of sugar changes the crust texture. The granulated is more crunchy and naturally has a bigger crumb. Made with the confectioners, its finer and more of a pastry. 

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 white sugar or confectioners sugar*

Filling:

2 eggs + 1 yolk

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 cup lemon juice

1+1/2 Tablespoons lemon zest 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly oil a 8x8 baking pan and line with parchment paper. (I didn't, but I will next time.)

Put flour, butter, and salt in a bowl and cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until it becomes a dough. 

Press the dough into the oiled pan (made easier by dipping fingers into a bit of water) until it completely covers the bottom. Use a fork to prick holes over the entire surface. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. until the the edges are barely golden brown. Leave oven on. 

While the crust is baking, make the filling. Whisk the eggs and the yolk until combined. Add the sugar and flour and whisk until fully combined. Add lemon juice and zest, whisking for another two minutes. 

Pour into baked crust and bake for another 25 minutes until a sugary crust has formed on the top and the filling seems set. 

Let the lemon squares sit until cool. Then, cut with a knife dipped in boiling water. Sift confectioner's sugar over the cut lemon squares as a finishing touch.