Southern Belle Lemon Bars

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It was an innocent enough text, sent to me by my BFF: “Do you make lemon bars?”

And that began our annual tradition of me making lemon bars as Ruthanne’s special homemade birthday treat. The first batch was a simple Martha Stewart recipe I found online, but as I’ve already noted in another post, I cannot leave well enough alone. No disrespect to Martha, but Ruthanne is usually doing one or another version of low-carb eating, so for her, I’ve scaled back some of the flour in favor of almond flour. And I’ve cut back on the sugar as well, which really allows the fresh-squeezed lemon to take (nearly) full credit for the deliciousness these squares bring to spring.

But it isn’t the almond in the crust or the skimping on sugar that really makes these different. My secret weapon is a little known ingredient called Fiori di Sicilia.

This ingredient adds a memorable touch to baked goods. Look for it in specialty stores or online from King Arthur Flour.

You may think you’ve never heard of it, but I’ll bet you’d recognize the flavor. It’s an Italian specialty extract, and tastes like Meyer lemon, oranges and vanilla. Kind of like a creamsicle, one of my favorite ice cream treats of childhood. Fiori di Sicilia is the special flavor that makes panettone tastes like panettone. And today, it will bring a unique twist to these lemon bars for our Kentucky Derby Preview.

So there you have it. My secret lemon bar ingredient is out. I considered naming this dessert “Ruthanne’s Favorite Lemon Bars,” but this secret is pretty delicious. And if this post were to go viral—well, I’m not sure she’s ready for that kind of attention.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (measure by fluffing, sprinkling and leveling)

1/2 cup very fine almond flour

4 large egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 good size lemons)

Zest of one lemon (organic is best)

A few drops Fiori di Sicilia* (a little goes a long way)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides, and butter the paper for easy release when the bars are done.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour and almond flour, and mix on low just until combined. Scrape down bowl a couple of times to ensure even mixing. Press dough into the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. This might be tricky because the almond flour isn’t as stiff as all-purpose flour—if your fingers stick, either sprinkle a bit of flour over the mixture to act as a buffer, or put the whole pan in the fridge 20 minutes and try again. Prick all over the surface with a fork. Bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, condensed milk and lemon juice until smooth. Whisk in Fiori di Sicilia. Allow crust to cool about 5 minutes, then gently pour lemon filling over crust in pan, return to oven and bake until filling is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool completely.

  • I like to fold the parchment on the sides to fit more neatly, and notice that the “overhang” is opposite the handles.
  • If the almond shortbread crust is too sticky to press, sprinkle lightly with flour or chill in the fridge 20 minutes to firm up the butter.
  • The crust is nice and golden from the oven. It’s even more delicate than regular shortbread, so let it cool slightly before adding the filling.
  • Organic, free-range egg yolks have such a rich color, and it will make these lemon bars extra pretty!
  • A tiny bit of this is all I need for my lemon bars. This is my 1/8 teaspoon, and it’s not quite half full!
  • The lemon scent is positively intoxicating.
  • Oopsie! I let this go a couple minutes too long. Fortunately, the powdered sugar will cover a multitude of sins. Kinda like Spanx.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 2 hours. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 9 or 16 squares, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

I trimmed the slightly overdone edges. No harm, no foul!

*Catering tip:

Cutting the lemon bars neatly can be a fussy task. Do what the pros do—use a very sharp knife, run it under warm water before you begin, and wipe blade clean with a damp kitchen towel before you begin and between cuts. The filling won’t accumulate on the blade, so it won’t transfer back onto the lemon bars.

Unless you have the special sugar that baking professionals use, it’s likely that your dusting of powdered sugar will melt into the lemon bars. For prettiest presentation, dust them just before serving.

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Mint Julep Sorbet

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The quintessential cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep, is a mashup of bourbon, mint and sugar. A typical recipe for making one begins “muddle the mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of the glass,” but then the muddled mess never leaves the drink. I like the flavor of mint, but not the idea of mint shards floating around in my cup. And if it should get stuck on my teeth? No thanks!

We are ending our Kentucky Derby party (preview though it is) with the taste of mint julep on our lips, with an ultra-refreshing sorbet, made of nothing more than mint, thin simple syrup (sugar and water) and bourbon. Yep, just four simple ingredients, and you can make this as much as a week ahead and enjoy it on your schedule.

Note that the simple syrup is a 2:1 ratio, different from the syrup we used in the cocktails. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, don’t despair—I’ve included an alternate method that requires only a freezer-safe container and a fork.

This “dessert” is really more of a palate cleanser, just a small sweet bit of lightly boozy refreshment after the rich foods of the day. Recipe will yield about 6 servings. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Handful of organic fresh mint (about 1 oz.)
2 cups filtered water
1 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup bourbon
Up to 1 cup unflavored seltzer water (or a subtle flavor such as lemon)*
Additional fresh mint for garnish

Gently rinse the fresh mint in cool water, remove heavy stems and set aside on paper towel.

Instructions

Place a small saucepan over medium heat and add the bourbon. As you know, alcohol doesn’t freeze completely, so we are going to evaporate some of the alcohol out of the bourbon, thereby concentrating its flavor. Allow it to come to a very slight boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until it’s reduced by half. You can check this by pouring the reduced bourbon into a glass measuring cup—you should end with 1/4 cup or slightly less. Pour into a large glass jar and cool completely, then put it into the fridge.

Rinse the saucepan and combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring it to a light boil, then turn off the heat. Add the mint leaves and steep for a couple of hours until completely cooled. Strain and discard mint, add syrup to the jar of reduced bourbon and refrigerate.

To freeze the sorbet in an ice cream machine, combine syrup and seltzer, then add the mixture all at once and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions, which is probably about 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe covered container and freeze several hours or overnight. It will still be pretty soft when you finish the blending, but the deep freeze will firm it up a bit more.

No ice cream machine? No problem—combine the syrup and seltzer in a freezer-safe container (something wide and shallow works best), cover and freeze about 2 hours. Use a fork to scrape through it and “fluff” it up, then freeze another 2 hours (repeat again as needed until it’s as slushy as you like. Or, wait until it’s fully frozen, scoop mixture into a blender or processor and blend until smooth, then re-freeze until ready to serve. This will allow you to incorporate some air into the sorbet.

*This is a very sweet sorbet recipe. If you prefer a lighter essence, combine frozen sorbet with up to a cup of very cold seltzer water in a food processor and return to the freezer. The bubbles in the seltzer will help incorporate air into the sorbet for even freezing.

To serve, scoop sorbet into a small glass dish or shallow cocktail glass, and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.

This refreshing treat is best enjoyed whilst wearing a fancy hat.

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Apple Dutch Baby with Cider Sauce

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A Dutch baby (also known as a German pancake) is an elegant breakfast or brunch dish you can make from basic pantry ingredients. It’s terrific because you can swap in whatever fruit you have on hand—fresh peaches or berries make delicious toppings, with just a dusting of powdered sugar. But for this one, I’ve used a single, unpeeled apple for rustic appeal, and created a sweet apple cider sauce that takes it way over the top, almost into dessert territory.

The basic German pancake recipe was graciously offered to me by the innkeeper at a Virginia bed and breakfast I visited many years ago. It uses the simplest of ingredients, but something almost magical happens in the oven, as the batter rises up and curves inward over the filling—almost like it’s giving a hug.

There are three components to this dish, and I’ve listed the ingredients for each separately along with the steps. You may want to read all the way through before you begin. Enjoy!

Tools you’ll need:

10 1/2 inch cast-iron skillet (and potholder)
Whisk
2 medium mixing bowls
Small microwave safe bowl or measuring cup
Medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pan
Cutting board and knife
Flat wood utensil or wooden spoon

Ingredients – cider sauce:

2 cups apple cider
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. maple syrup (I love the dark amber, formerly known as “grade B”)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt (this simultaneously enhances and balances the sweetness of this decadent sauce)

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, combine all ingredients except vanilla and sea salt over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stir and cook about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced by nearly half, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sea salt. Set aside to cool. This may be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week; warm before serving.

Ingredients – apple filling:

1 large, firm apple (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji would be good), cored and sliced thin
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom (or extra cinnamon)
Pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 425° F. Heat cast-iron skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add apple slices and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and sea salt. Toss to coat, and stir frequently for about five minutes, until apples are evenly coated and beginning to soften. Remove from heat, empty apples into a bowl and wipe the skillet clean of any bits that might burn. Place skillet into preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

Ingredients – Dutch baby:

3 Tbsp. salted butter (for the batter)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup whole or 2% milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (for the skillet)

Melt 3 Tbsp. salted butter in a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk together flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs until uniform consistency. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture then add milk, eggs and melted butter. Whisk just until all flour is incorporated.

Carefully remove skillet from the oven and add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, swirling around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Spoon the apples into the center of the pan. Give the egg mixture another quick whisk, then pour gently over the apples. Place the skillet back into the oven, reduce heat to 400° F and bake about 25 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center is set, but still a bit soft and “eggy.”

Straight from the oven; notice those little pockets of custard and butter?

Remove from skillet, drizzle the warm cider sauce over the pancake and serve in wedges.

The fragrant apple and spices will warm you up from the inside.

Can I make a Dutch baby without a cast-iron skillet?

Alternatively, you can use an oven-safe casserole dish and get great results. Butter and flour the inside of the dish before adding the batter. Because the casserole dish won’t be preheated like the skillet, it may take a bit longer. Bake at 400° F, and check for doneness after about 30 minutes.

Can I make individual Dutch baby pancakes?

Yes! If you have individual size cast-iron skillets, simply preheat them as instructed for the large skillet, and divide the melted butter and batter into them. Check for doneness after about 15 minutes. Or butter and flour individual glass casserole dishes and check them at 20 minutes. This recipe should work for about four of them.

Can I serve a Dutch baby for dessert?

I can’t think of a reason not to, especially if you make a decadent sauce! This apple dutch baby with cider sauce would be fantastic as it is for dessert; I’d probably even add an ounce of bourbon or brandy to the cider as it reduces (I’m spontaneous like that). It would also be great with cooked cherries rather than apples, and maybe a nice dark chocolate sauce. Or what about caramelized bananas with a caramel rum sauce…like Bananas Foster? Okay, now it’s just getting crazy in here.