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Gingered Lemon Bars

Posted by Elise on Apr 24, 2006

Filed under Bakery, Cookie

Gingered Lemon Bars

"I can't wait for you to get here Elise. We can cook! We can make pies and cakes and cookies and more yummy things," exclaimed my young friend Alden as we were talking on the phone last week. Between Easter, a Patriots Day parade and museum trips, we finally got a chance to do some baking. Reilly (8) and her sister Alden (6) helped me make scrumptious lemon bars that have candied ginger in the crust from a recipe in a 1987 issue of Gourmet magazine. I skipped the sprinkled powdered sugar on top. Don't need that extra sugar. The lemon bars are great all on their own.

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Gingered Lemon Bars Recipe

Ingredients

reilly-grating-lemon.jpg
Reilly grating the lemon

  • 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

alden-reilly-mise.jpg
Alden and Reilly1 Pre-bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter. Add 1/3 cup of sifted powdered sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in half a teaspoon of the lemon zest, the ground ginger, the crystallized ginger, and a pinch of salt. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour in batches, a 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Continue to beat the crust batter until it is well combined.

2 Spread the crust batter evenly over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned lightly around the edges.

lemon-bars-2.jpg3 While the crust is baking, whisk together the eggs, the lemon juice, the granulated sugar, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, 3 Tbsp of flour, and the baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until well blended.

4 Pour the lemon batter over the pre-baked crust. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden. If you want, sift a little additional powdered sugar over the top. Let the lemon bars cool in the pan on a rack. Cut it into 36 pieces.

Makes 36 lemon bars.

Indexed: Cookie, Ginger, Lemon

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17 Comments

"We can cook!" Gotta love it, from an eight-year old! What fun ...

Posted by: Alanna on April 20, 2006 4:14 AM

These look and sound wonderful. I would never have thought of this combination in a bar, though I've been drinking ginger and lemon tea for years (and probably even read that issue of Gourmet back in 1987), LOL. Thanks for the recipe. Cute photos, too. Always nice to see the next generation of bakers hard at it! : )

Posted by: farmgirl on April 20, 2006 4:24 AM

Hi Elise,
The lemon bars look fantastic, and your little friends are adorable. One of my favorite things to do as a cook is to pass on my passion to the next generation, and I love to read about others doing the same!

Posted by: Jennifer on April 20, 2006 7:00 AM

Lemon bars are always great, and I always skip the powdered sugar. It is just not needed.

I love the idea of the candied ginger in the crust, though--I will definately have to try that!

The kids are cute--baking with kids is always so much fun....

Posted by: Barbara on April 20, 2006 7:58 AM

Lovely post! It's so nice to see pictures of the children eager to bake with you. This personal touch is what's great about blogs, and when associated with the professionalism of your posts it makes for delightful reading.

Did Reilly and Alden like the ginger in the crust? I wish mine were that adventurous! I actually had to leave the pecans out of my girls' portion when I made butter pecan ice cream... But then they're younger, so perhaps there's hope they'll develop a more sophisticated palate later.

Posted by: Astrid on April 21, 2006 6:01 AM

Hi Astrid,
Reilly and Alden loved the lemon bars, candied ginger and all. I know what you mean about the pecans though. Their mom made them some cinnamon buns a month ago and they picked out all the pecans before eating the buns. :-)

Posted by: Elise on April 21, 2006 9:04 AM

okay, way to exploit the kids! put them to work!lol!

they are sooooo cute! and the picture of them - they look like they ARE the mise en place. LOL!

Posted by: sarah on April 22, 2006 10:29 AM

Hi Elise,
First I want to say how much I LOVE your blog, it is simply awesome.
I would really really like to make these BUT where I live (Central Mexico) I cant get either candied ginger or lemons, do you have a suggestions for substitutes? Thanx!

Posted by: Lindsay on April 22, 2006 6:33 PM

Hi Lindsay,
You could probably try substituting a couple tablespoons of grated fresh ginger for the 1/2 cup of candied ginger. But don't know what to tell you about the lemons. Can't make lemon bars without lemons.

Posted by: Elise on April 23, 2006 9:10 AM

You could try making lemon bars with orange juice and orange peel.

Posted by: Becky on April 23, 2006 2:39 PM

Thanks for the suggestions Elise and Becky, I am going to give them a try... I will let you know how my experimenting goes!

Posted by: Lindsay on April 24, 2006 1:48 AM

What a sweet looking bunch of kids. Lemon bars were one of the first things I ever cooked and they are still a favorite. Since I love the combination of lemon and ginger, I can imagine these would become somewhat of an addiction for me.

Posted by: Brett on April 24, 2006 10:31 AM

Hi, Elise, I tried your lemon bars and they were a hit! So much so, that I blogged about it today, giving you full credit, of course. Thanks for sharing. Loved your pics of your little friends. :o)

Posted by: PatL on May 16, 2006 9:08 AM

Hi, the lemon bars sound great. What do you do if you don't have double acting baking powder?

Posted by: Sarah on May 26, 2007 6:23 AM

Pat, there are recipes online for making your own baking powder. If you have these things on hand they'll do in a pinch! I found myself without baking powder when I just wanted a quick loaf of maple banana bread but had used up all my butter and baking powder! (I used vegetable oil, sour cream and maple syrup instead of butter.)

Posted by: beth on December 8, 2009 1:38 AM

Hi, this recipe looks gorgeous. Just wondering if I can just use ordinary baking powder? I had a look in the supermarket today for double acting but couldn't find any. Can't wait to make these!!
Thanks

Good question. Single acting baking powder reacts to moisture to begin its leavening, so once you mix it in your wet mixture, you have to work fast. Don't let the mixture sit around, get it all in the oven quickly. ~Elise

Posted by: Olivia on March 24, 2010 5:47 AM

Hi Elise, I followed your advice about the baking powder and they turned out perfectly! I made them for afternoon tea with friends along with your oatmeal raisin cookies and they were gobbled up! I love your blog it is so special, such beautiful pictures; everything looks so good, I want to make it all! Thanks so much for sharing it!!

Posted by: Olivia on March 28, 2010 5:16 AM

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