I would wager that this duo of shower desserts in any social situation would satisfy nearly all sweet tooths (teeth?). For fun, I included red velvet cupcakes, too, always a hit, but truthfully not as much a crowd pleaser as the lemon bars and brownies. And what could be easier? Nothing. Tis the season for showers ... food for thought for keeping it simple. // alexandracooks.com

Last week, for about point five seconds, I entertained the idea of making petits fours for a baby shower. I’m so glad I came to my senses. In fact I’m so glad I tossed out all of my  grand ideas: stork-shaped frosted cookies, a baby-buggy cake, mini baby brownie pops.

Instead, I made one batch of my favorite brownie recipe and one batch of lemon bars, a recipe I have been making for years.

What can I say, with a dessert platter filled with these super lemony and fudgy brownie bites, nobody missed the precious pastelly pastries previously prancing around my head. I would wager in fact that this duo of desserts in any social situation would satisfy nearly all sweet tooths (teeth?).

For fun, I made some Red Velvet Cupcakes, too, always a hit, but truthfully not as much a crowd pleaser as the lemon bars and brownies. And what could be easier? Nothing. Tis the season for showers … food for thought for keeping it simple.

Lemons
lemon bar evolution
Brownies
Red Velvets
work space
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Classic Lemon Bars

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Ingredients

  • ½ lb. (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (80 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
  • pinch salt
  • 2 cups (400 g) sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 7 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ cup (32 g) all-purpose flour
  • pinch salt
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Beat butter till fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in the flour one cup at a time. Add a pinch of salt. Press the dough into the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake crust till golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  3. Beat sugar with eggs until blended. Add lemon juice and zest, baking powder, flour and salt, and beat until blended. Pour filling over hot crust. Bake until the filling is set in center and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes.
  4. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American