There is something really nice about the combination of lemon and raspberry. Lemon is a winter flavor and raspberry is a spring flavor, but together they are heavenly and not limited to any season. This recipe was found in the Costco Connections magazine for April, so thinking spring. I needed something sweet to serve with tea a couple of days ago...a friend was coming over for tea and to play a game. This seemed like just the thing...and I had almost all of the ingredients handy.
First you have an oatmeal-rich bottom crust, then a sweet and creamy lemony filling, then fresh raspberries for a topping...topped with crumbles of the bottom crust mixture which bake up crispy and golden brown. What a great combination! Lot of textures as well as flavors, sweet offset with the tartness of lemon and fresh raspberry.
You do need to chill these after baking and before cutting, which is tough because the kitchen smells so good that you want to just dig in!
You also should be prepared for a few dishes to clean while they bake, but they are so delicious that it is worth it, too.
At the bottom of the post is a photo of a jack-in-the-pulpit wildflower that I found near the baseball field where we walk Pi. You can see how it got it's name! Happy Spring dear reader.
Lemon Raspberry Crumb Bars
Serves 12
crust/topping:
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (12 tablespoons)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup quick oats
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
filling:
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
1 egg yolk
1 cup raspberries
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Zest the lemon. Set aside.
Juice the lemons. Set aside.
Separate the egg. Set aside the yolk. Reserve the white for another use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the crust/topping: In a large bowl, mix together the crust/topping ingredients until there are no butter chunks and the mixture begins to clump together. (I found that using a pastry cutter first and then my fingers, that I could cut in the butter and then rub it into the dry ingredients until I could squeeze clumps on the mixture that held together.)
Press three-quarters of the mixture on the bottom of a lightly greased 7 x 11-inch baking pan. (First line the pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides to easily lift the dessert out of the pan once baked and chilled.) Set aside.
Prepare the filling: In a separate bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolk. Spread onto the crust. Toss the raspberries with the flour and sugar in another bowl. Mash lightly with a fork, keeping some fruit intact, then dollop the raspberries onto the lemon filling, spacing over the whole pan. Some areas won't have raspberries. Crumble the remaining crust mixture over the top of the raspberries.
Bake 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven until the crust browns and the center of the filling is set when tested with a toothpick. Cover with foil if browning occurs before the filling is set.
Chill 1-2 hours before cutting and serving. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 12 servings.
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