Lemon Bars

Sweltering heat + terrible humidity = unhappy chicagoans. I'm hating this ridiculously hot weather. I don't have a pool, so I decided to make lemon bars; cool + refreshing. Lemon bars are the perfect combination of tart+ sweet, although heavy with their custard-like base, it's hard to eat just one. Enjoy this recipe if you too find yourself melting, beach anyone?

Lemon Bars

adapted from Classic Star Desserts by Emily Luchetti via Foodgal

For crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

12 tablespoons cold unsalted, butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For filling:

6 large eggs

3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup flour

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until mixed. Add butter and continue to mix until butter is the size of small peas, about 30 seconds. The mixture will be very dry. Gently press mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

To make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then the flour. Pour filling on top of crust.

Bake until lemon filling is set, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for 1 hour or keep at room temperature for 3 hours before cutting. Cut into squares measuring about 2 1/4 inches and dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar.

easter cupcakes + tales of a terrible bunny.

I have fond memories of Easter- waking up and searching the house to find where the Easter Bunny had left my basket, always filled with chocolate eggs and silly putty. When I was in high school I volunteered to be Easter Bunny's wife at the local easter egg hunt. I was provided with a wonky looking costume that was too short and small that exposed my ankles (hidden by white tube socks) and the back of my neck. The mask was scary with crooked whiskers and a face that almost looked demonic. To make a long story short, I mayyyybe tripped a few kids on accident causing them to spill their eggs, ultimately ending up with many, many crying children. Needless to say, I was never asked back.

I made these cupcakes to bring for Easter Brunch tomorrow, they are yellow cake with assorted pastel buttercream and sparkling sugar. I've also included a picture of me dressed as the Easter Bunny's Wife. (It was probably also traumatic for children to see that Mrs. Bunny had lost her foot cover and was wearing adidas sandals. woops)

Hoppy Easter, enjoy the weekend!

(this really is me, I promise.)

bake. chicago.

I have a new boyfriend, his name is Alex. He is ADORABLE with perfect dimples + dark hair at the ripe old age of 2. I met him a new(ish) bakery I've been wanting to try called Bake, located on North Ave. in the cutest little store front space. We went in late on Sunday afternoon each ordered a coffee and drooled over what was left in the cases, finally settling on a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake. As we went to sit down we were approached by the owner's son who was carrying his blanket and a sippy cup of apple juice. Alex happily showed us where his chair was and gave us both our assigned seats. I was told to sit in the chair across from him and my mom was left at a table by herself.

our chocolate peanut butter cupcake. delicious.

We soon dove into our cupcake and as we finished it Alex asked us where it had gone. I explained to him that we had eaten it all and with that Alex took off muttering "cupcake" over and over again. We assumed he was just bored of us but then we looked behind the counter to see a mini set of hands prying open the cold case. Alex was soon inside the case pulling out a white cupcake that was almost as big as his head (sadly I did not get a picture of this). He carried it all the way back to the table and put it directly on my plate where the wrapper of the first cupcake remained. This is when I was certain our future together would be a happy one. That little nugget sure knows the way to a girl's heart. I will definitely go back to bake and not just because I met my future husband + was given a free cupcake.

Check out bake here - it's a great space with wonderful sweets! FYI Alex is there on Sundays.