Pistachio Lemon Bars #SundaySupper

 

This week’s Sunday Supper is brought by Anne from Simple and Savory. The theme is Easy Spring Recipes. There are so many spring vegetables that I would love to write about, but this is Maine. Spring doesn’t hit until June and we’re pretty lacking in local produce at the moment. I haven’t even begun to think about the garden yet! I am dreaming about it … but in the meantime …

There’s a little happy dance being done here – a very tentative happy dance, mind you. This is, after all, Maine. The snow has started to melt (hard to believe 2 1/2 weeks ago there was 4 FEET of snow out there), seems as though the grip of winter has started to ease. I realize, that merely typing these words can bring upon us another snowmageddon, but we’re hopeful.

We have a short growing season here, so vegetables that take a longer time to mature grow in our greenhouse, all else in the garden. I CAN NOT WAIT!

I’m not quite sure why lemons and pistachios remind me of spring, but they do. Perhaps it’s my Greek roots. Perhaps it was my Papoo’s love of pistachios and sneaking handfuls out of his night stand drawer – though, those were the red dyed ones. Not easy to be sneaky when your fingers and lips and tongue are dyed bright red!. Perhaps it was his idea that lemons were good for everything – softening your hands, flavoring things, making you feel better, taking away unpleasant smells.

So, Papoo, this one’s for you …

THE CRUST:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

THE FILLING:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup shelled unsalted pistachios
•  Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper (if using foil, lightly butter it). Place flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add butter and process until well combined. Stir in chopped pistachios. Firmly press mixture into the bottom of the lined pan using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup (if it sticks, place a piece of parchment paper on the dough before pressing).

Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the filling ingredients. When the crust is baked, pour the filling into the pan and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and cut into 2-inch squares.

Breakfast

• Broccoli and Asparagus Frittata by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Herb and Leek Frittata by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Omelette Farcie by Palatable Pastime

Cakes, Pies, and Sweets

• Coconut Custard Pie by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Mango Banana Bread by Asian in America
• Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Upside Down Brown Sugar Apricot Cake by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Cookies and Bars

• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Maple Syrup Madeleines by The Finer Cookie
• Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Orange-Pineapple Biscotti by Basic N Delicious
• Pistachio Crumb Apricot Butter Bars by The Crumby Cupcake
• Pistachio Lemon Bars by From the Bookshelf

Main Courses

• Apricot Glazed Tofu Bento by NinjaBaker.com
• Creamy and Tangy Avocado Chicken Salad by Cooking On The Ranch
• Grilled Lamb Lollipops with a Lemon and Pea Dip by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Lemon Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes by Hardly a Goddess
• Pad Thai Spring Rolls by Brunch-n-Bites
• Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Spring Pizza with Goat Cheese & Asparagus by Wholistic Woman
• Spring Power Bowl by Simple and Savory

Pastas

• Crab and Asparagus Pasta by My Savory Spoon.com
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus Rotini Pasta by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts & Feta by Soulfully Made
• Simple Pasta with Peas, Ham and Cream by Cooking With Carlee
• Spinach Artichoke Pasta Recipe by Life Tastes Good

Seafood

• Baked Swordfish and Asparagus with Lentils and Chermoula by Caroline’s Cooking
• Flaked Salmon Arugula Spinach Watercress Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Brie by Books n’ Cooks
• Red Snapper in a Saffron-Tomato Broth with Artichoke Hearts & Potatoes by Gourmet Everyday
• Roasted Shrimp and Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Salmon with Parsley Pesto and Peas by Cooking Chat

Veggies and Sides

• Alfredo Scalloped Potatoes with Ham by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Asparagus Ham and Swiss Danish Braid by Crazed Mom
• Asparagus Soup by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Cheesy Potato Asparagus Tart by Sunday Supper Movement
• Herbed Lemon Potato Salad by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Microwave Carrots and Peas by Cricket’s Confections
• Roasted Spring Vegetables by Food Lust People Love
• Shaved Asparagus Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Pistachio Dried Cherry Torrone ~ March Daring Bakers

The March 2014 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Rebecca of BakeNQuilt. She challenged us to learn to make classic nougat and to make it our own with our choice of flavors and add-ins.

It’s been a terribly long time since I’ve been able to join in any cooking or baking events. I’ve missed it.  I am so pleased to be able to join in BOTH Daring Kitchen challenges this month.

I have had this Martha Stewart Torrone recipe on deck for a LONG time and made my own changes to it, but felt the base recipe was easy enough for me to handle!

And you-know-who is screaming WHY? And in the same breath WHERE’S MINE??

This was a bit fiddley. I was a bit hampered by not being in my own kitchen. I used a hand mixer that’s affixed to a bowl that turns, so it was a semi-stand mixer type piece of equipment … but not really.

It needs to sit and ‘dry’ a bit more, but man oh man, this is tasty stuff!

• 2 pieces edible rice paper, (9 by 13 inches each) wafer paper
• 1 C sugar
• 1/2 C honey
• 3 T light corn syrup
• 1/2 C water
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 C shelled salted pistachios, (about 7 ounces)
• 1 1/3 C unsweetened finely shredded coconut, (about 4 ounces)
• 3/4 C dried cherries

Place 1 piece of rice paper in a 9×13-inch rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

NOTE: I lightly buttered the sides of the baking dish. You’re going to trim them off anyway so it just makes removing the Torrone easier.

Put sugar, honey, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to simmer and sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer.

NOTE: Aside from the no stand mixer problem, I also suffered from a no CANDY THERMOMETER problem. 300 degrees is hard ball stage. Drop a tiny amount of the boiling sugar into a cup with cold water, when it becomes a hard, crunchy mass once in the water, you’re done.

Meanwhile, put egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Raise speed to high. Pour hot honey mixture into egg-white mixture in a slow, steady stream, and beat until mixture has cooled and thickened and begins to stick to whisk, about 10 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium-low; beat in vanilla, pistachios, coconut, and cranberries.

Working quickly, spread mixture into prepared dish. Place another sheet of rice paper on top; press down to flatten and spread evenly. Let cool on wire rack at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Cut around edges of Torrone to loosen. Remove from baking sheet; transfer to a cutting board. Trim edges to be straight. Using a long, sharp knife, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie Strips

More from our snow bound day of baking. I love chocolate chip cookies, really love them, and will try any new recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but how many different ways are there to make a chocolate chip cookie? Especially drop chocolate chip cookies. It’s really just changing up the ‘goodies’ inside. I love playing with the sizes and shapes. Now, we’ve already seen the Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie, which was great and easy and a wee bit different. But, while flitting around some of the blogs I read I saw these chocolate chip cookies and they have toffee AND you don’t have to scoop them! They make great big Cookie Monster sized cookies … that you cut into strips. This recipe comes from the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer:  All the Good Cookies recipe book.

Many thanks again to my friend Lisa for braving the snow to make cookie baking day so much fun and to Miss A for awakening from slumber with a zeal to get her bake on!

• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 C light brown sugar
• 1/2 C granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/3 C (8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 C Heath toffee bits (add 2/3 cup if you’re a toffee lover!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, add the flour, baking powder and salt; beat well and scrape again.

Stir in the chocolate chips and the toffee.

Divide the dough into quarters. Roll each quarter of the dough between two floured sheets of waxed paper into an 8-inch or so square.

NOTE: Flouring wax paper? Nope, doesn’t work. Lightly flour the rolling pin and you’re just fine!

Transfer the cookie squares to the prepared baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes.

While hot, cut each cookie square in half, then cut each half into eight 1-inch slices. Cool the slices on the cookie sheets completely.