Lemon Lush

Lemons are falling off the trees in Phoenix. Perfect timing for this yummy dessert.

Lemon Lush

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 (3.4-ounce) packages instant lemon pudding mix
3½ cups milk
1 (16-ounce) container whipped topping, thawed


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, softened butter, pecans, and ¼ cup sugar until evenly mixed. Press into the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled shortbread crust.
In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk until it thickens some, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour on top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour is good.
Spread whipped topping over top. Cut into squares. Serves: 12

Notes
If you want pretty slices, you must partially freeze the lemon lush. It will defrost fairly quickly.

Thanks to spicysouthernkitchen.com for recipe.

Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

Tastes & Treasures cookbook has several recipes using lemons- Very Lemon Bread page 119, Luscious Lemon Loaf page 198, Lemon Rub Pie page 178 and more.

This new one sounded too good not to try.
Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

Ingredients:
1 pkg yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker, get the kind that makes a 9x13 size) Ingredients called for on back of cake box
2 pkg (3.4oz each) instant lemon pudding
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. cold milk
1 1/4 c. water

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare cake as directed on package.
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
Beat dry pudding mixes, granulated sugar, milk and water with whisk 2 min.; pour over batter in dish.
Don't spread it. You'll fail.
Place baking dish on baking sheet. (Baking sheet will catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.)
Bake 55 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 20 min. (Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.)
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Serve warm.
Refrigerate leftovers.

Tips:
For stronger lemon flavor, add the zest and juice from 1 lemon to pudding mixture before pouring over batter in baking dish.
Try serving this topped with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
If you don't fancy lemon, you may substitute vanilla flavor instant pudding.
Thanks to Mandy's Recipe Box.

Lemon Coconut Squares from Pam Stevenson

Lots of sugar but lots of goodness in these yummy bars. Pam adds 3/4 cup coconut to the filling for an unique flavor.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients for Crust:     

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

½ cup powdered sugar

Combine and press into greased 9” X 13” pan. Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Ingredients for Filling:

4 eggs

4 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon rind

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder



Directions for Filling:
Mix well and pour over previous layer. Bake again 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Ingredients for Glaze:

4 tablespoon lemon juice

1 ½ cup powdered sugar


Directions for Glaze:
Mix and pour over previous layer soon after removing from oven. Cool and cut into squares.



Pam Stevenson baked these for the Historical League meeting. They were almost gone by the time I took her photo.

Lemon Citrus Blondies

Meetings for Children's Holiday Party often involve wonderful foods. This recipe from Ruth Ann Hogan is sure to please any crowd.



LEMON CITRUS BLONDIES

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
3 T undiluted frozen orange juice concentrate
1 T fresh lemon zest
1½ cups flour
1½ t baking powder
½ t salt

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T fresh orange or tangerine juice
2 t grated fresh orange or tangerine zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with aluminum foil, having extra foil pressed over the sides as handles. Spray the sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.

3. Add the frozen orange juice concentrate and the lemon zest.

4. In separate medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is shiny and feels firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes.

7. While the Blondie is baking, make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest together in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.

8. Cool the Blondie on a wire rack. Pierce with a fork, and pour the glaze over entire cake.

9. Lift the cooled bars from the pan using the paper/foil handles. Remove the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares or triangles.

Makes about 24 bars

Luscious Lemon Loaf pg198

Barbara Cardinal brought this yummy loaf to January's Historical League meeting. The plate was passed around and not much was left over. This is a wonderful time to use citrus in cooking and baking in Phoenix with the trees loaded with fruit. We also juice them and freeze them into ice cubes for later use. If you can't use what is on your tree, you can call the gleaners at the food banks and they will pick them and donate them. It's a great system for sharing the fruit with food bank networks throughout the country.

Luscious Lemon Loaf pg 198
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp lemon extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 5 X 8 " loaf pan with baking parchment paper. Sift the flour (who does this anymore??), baking powder, and salt together. Combine the sugar, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, walnuts and flavoring.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the loaf tests done. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: you may drizzle with a mixture of 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tsp half and half and 1 tsp lemon juice. Makes 1 loaf.

Two more recipes from Sandra Day O'Connor Open House

So many wanted the recipes served at the Museum for the Open House Oct 21 that I am printing two more for all to enjoy. Lemon Citrus Blondies and Stuffed Medjool Dates. yummmmm. More recipes are coming . . .

LEMON CITRUS BLONDIES

Ingredients: 1 cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
3 T undiluted frozen orange juice concentrate
1 T fresh lemon zest
1½ cups flour
1½ t baking powder
½ t salt
Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar
2 T fresh orange or tangerine juice
2 t grated fresh orange or tangerine zest
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with aluminum foil, having extra foil pressed over the sides as handles. Spray the sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.
3. Add the frozen orange juice concentrate and the lemon zest.
4. In separate medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is shiny and feels firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes.
7. While the Blondie is baking, make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest together in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
8. Cool the Blondie on a wire rack. Pierce with a fork, and pour the glaze over entire cake.
9. Lift the cooled bars from the pan using the paper/foil handles. Remove the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares or triangles.
Makes about 24 bars

STUFFED MEDJOOL DATES
Ingredients: 30-40 Medjool Dates (one 2 lb container from Cost Co)
1 lb Chorizo sausage (you won’t need all of it)
1 lb Apple wood smoked bacon (Trader Joe’s)
30-40 toothpicks
1. Remove pits from dates. I use a chopstick to push the pit out.
2. Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Set a cooling rack on top of the foil. This will allow the fat to drip off the bacon while the dates cook.
3. Stuff the dates with a little bit of chorizo. I use a chopstick to push the sausage into the date.
4. Cut each piece of bacon into thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date, secure with a tooth pick.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
6. Place the dates on the prepared rack.
7. Bake at 350 F until bacon is crisp, about 20-30 minutes.
8. Serve immediately.
9. Can be reheated on a low oven.