Midweek Recipes 2: Kazan Lemon Bars

A long time ago, before I was a wife or a mother, I spent a lot of my time with my friend Araxi (Tita Rax). I didn't know a whole lot about baking at the time. Just enough to get myself in trouble in the kitchen occasionally. And enough to know when a recipe was easy enough and delicious enough to keep. I've kept this recipe since Rax gave it to me (on 4/17/96 to be exact), partially because it's a great one and partially because it has a handwritten note from her reminding me that I needed to send her the recipe for Wine Cake. We don't see each other much anymore; life has gotten complicated for both of us...and we live in different states. But I still think about her often, especially when I make these.

Kazan Lemon Bars *click here for printable version*

1-1/2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Mix until crumbly. Press into an 8 x 8 pan. Bake high in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 Tbls. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
juice of 1-1/2 lemons

Combine ingredients, pour on top of baked portion. Bake another 20 minutes--take care not to overbake. Lemon topping should resemble custard with a faint browning in patches. Dust with powdered sugar while hot. Cut into small squares when cool.

This recipe is easily doubled for a 9 x 13 pan. Cooking times are very approximate--the recipe originated at sea level--so adjust as necessary. Resist the urge to cut large squares, the bars are very rich.

Me and Araxi a LONG time ago. In costume for a production of Measure for Measure, if you must know. We didn't dress like this ALL the time.