Saturday, December 17, 2011

Let Me Share Some of My Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes With YOU!

A bit of the season's holiday magic suddenly seems to appear once batches of Christmas cookies come out of the oven.  This year I will be sharing a few of my treasured favorites from time to time with you before you start your holiday baking. 

Today, I hope you will try my Luscious Lemon Bars.  This cookie has a pastry-like bottom with a second layer of baked in lemon cream and is topped off with a mere dusting of confectioners' sugar.  This recipe is so incredibly delicious that I only make it for the holidays since they are impossible to resist.

One thing I want to mention is the importance of an accurate measure of your baking powder.  Always measure out your baking powder or soda with a measuring spoon and keep it level. 

Also, did you know that Rumford Baking Powder is one of the only baking powders without aluminum?  You may want to check your brand of baking powder first before that holiday baking. Otherwise, you may be eating extra aluminum.

Tomorrow, I will give you a yummy recipe for those that love the flavor of licorice!


My Luscious Lemon Bars

1 cup of margarine
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar
2 and 1/3 cups of unsifted flour
4 eggs
1 and 3/4 cups of sugar
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Cream margarine with the one-half cup of confectioners' sugar.  Add two cups of flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.  Pat and press evenly into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350-degrees for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the eggs, sugar, remaining, one-third cup of flour, lemon juice and baking powder in a blender.  Blend a few seconds until well-mixed.

Pour the blended mixture over the crust that has baked for 20 minutes.  Then return to the oven and bake 25 minutes longer or until it appears golden brown.

Cool completely and then dust with the remaining confectioners' sugar.