Family friendly Dessert American

Antoni Porowski's salty lemon squares

Name: Easy lemon square recipe Antoni Porowski
Yield: 16
Cuisine: /american
Ingredients: 125g plain flour; 50g granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 120g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 2 large eggs; 200g granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon baking powder; Finely grated zest of 1 large or 2 medium lemons (1 ½ to 2 tablespoons); 60ml fresh lemon juice (from 1 large or 2 medium lemons); Icing sugar for dusting; Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

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https://healthimprovements.info/recipes/easy-lemon-square-recipe-antoni-porowski/hi2ljnf1 — Salty lemon squares

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by Antoni Porowski

Sep 19, 2019

"I spent a couple of summers when I was young in Knowlton, Quebec, where my Auntie Magda had a summer home she ran as an unofficial sleepaway camp for all of the cousins. Our carefree days were spent horseback riding, face painting, running about in the yard and, of course, eating. Auntie Madga was a fantastic cook who put a touch of Polish in every dish. Her daughter, Maia, two years my elder, likely inspired by her mum, was a passionate young baker. Maia spent most of her mornings in the kitchen, baking something delicious so that we could all have treats after lunch. That first summer at 'cousins' camp', she was obsessed with lemon squares. Brand-new to me, they were sweet and tangy, bright and cookie-like, and I ate them with abandon. But what also struck me was the idea that cooking is not necessarily a chore that somebody else does for you while you're playing outside. If you love cooking, it's fun. Today, whenever I make these lemon bars, which are a slight riff on Maia's original, I think back to that time that helped shape both my palate and my life path." This is an edited extract from ‘Antoni in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski is published by Bluebird, RRP$39.99 and is available from all good bookstores’.

Crust

125g plain flour
50g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
120g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Filling

2 large eggs
200g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 large or 2 medium lemons (1 ½ to 2 tablespoons)
60ml fresh lemon juice (from 1 large or 2 medium lemons)
Icing sugar for dusting
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Method

1.

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4, with a rack in the middle. Line an 20cm (5in) square baking tin with two sheets of foil, shiny-side up, crisscrossing them to leave an overhang on all sides. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter.
2.

For the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cooled melted butter and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out into the baking tin and press evenly over the bottom. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 18 to 22 minutes.
3.

Meanwhile, make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat the eggs in a medium bowl until combined. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat on medium-high until the mixture is frothy, 2 to 3 minutes.
4.

Pour the filling into the hot crust. Return the tin to the oven and bake until the filling is just set, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the tin on a wire rack, at least 1 ½ hours. For the best flavour and easiest cutting, chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day. (The bars can be covered and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw, unwrapped, for 1 hour at room temperature before serving.)
5.

To serve, cut the bars into Scm (2in) squares, then dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with flaky salt.

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Recipe Notes

After grating the lemons, warm them in the microwave for 5- to 10-second intervals until just a bit warm, 15 to 30 seconds, which will help release the most juice. The flavour of these bars deepens overnight, so make them a day ahead if you can.