Recently someone gave us a whole bunch of beautiful fresh lemons right off their tree. As they sat in the fruit bowl on my kitchen counter, the smell was absolutely heavenly for days on end. I have been agonising since as to what I can do with all those lemons, screaming to be used every time I passed them by!

From the very start “Lemon Squares” popped in my mind, but I’ve been resisting since. I knew that I would be the one to end up “inhaling” the whole lot myself, ingesting all this flour and sugar and butter.. I know, guilt is not a very pretty thing, I’ve been reading way too many articles on health and nutrition lately!

Tonight we’re invited to our friends Paola & Vincenzo’s house for dinner. As soon as she asked us, I voluntered desert, please? Lemon Squares. Delicious. Let me make them?

YESSSS!!!!

Finally!!!!

Pastry:

312grs flour

1tsp baking powder

142 grs sugar

1pkt vanilla

2 eggs

142 grs butter

Mix above ingredients, knead lightly, roll onto a rectangle & lay on a baking sheet. After mixing the dough, I layed it in pieces on the baking sheet, and used my fingers to smooth it out. I made a slight indentation around the edges to prevent the filling from s[pilling out.

1) Bake in a 225C pre-heated oven for 10mns. Set aside to cool

Filling:

1/4 cup corn starch

1 1/4 cups water

1)Blend together in a saucepan & cook gently until thickened.

58 grs butter

115 grs sugar

2 egg yolks

peel from 2 lemons

juice from 2 lemons

Add ingredients to thickened corn starch in the order indicated above.

2) Let thicken lightly and pour on cooled pastry

Crumb topping:

192 grs flour

225 grs sugar

170 grs butter

3) Rub with fingers and sprinkle on top of lemon filling

4) bake in 200C pre-heated oven for 30mns.

Let it cool a while, then cut into squares and transfer onto a serving dish.

Will I sneak a few squares away and keep them in my freezer? You bet! For the days when “being good” just isn’t good enough, and a “sweet” is the only thing that will put your mind at rest.

Enjoy!