Monday, July 15, 2013

Lemon Squares

Lemon Squares
Perhaps part of the reason the back of my legs aren't looking so crash hot this Winter, is because I have been having my fair share of this stuff lately.  That has stopped now for a little while, but my excuse is that we have been on school holidays and with kids around more than usual, it has been nice to have something to offer them to eat.


I have finally collated all the recipe clippings I have been collecting over the years in one spot and made a home made cook book with the littlest Beach House Brat.  We are slowly cooking our way through the recipes and these tangy lemon squares are delicious, easy and the kids loved them.  They definitely ticked all the boxes, so the recipe was duly pasted into the book.  Thanks Tamsin.


The other thing we have been doing a bit of these holidays is bobbing around in the mangroves.

I think the Bayview mangroves system is one of the most pristine in Australia right now.  I dragged the biggest beach house brat down there again.......He was not as keen this time, but once we got into it, we enjoyed filling our garbage bags and I came home with a fully intact 1 pint Dairy Farmers Co Op milk bottle for my trouble.  The fine print on the bottle says it remains "the property of Dairy Farmers Co Op", but after 40 years I am prepared to fight them all the way to the High Court over that one.  

The discovery started a conversation about how we had our milk delivered to our home in "the olden days."  And I was reminded of being the only kid in the street, where I grew up, who was not allowed to ride shot gun with all the other kids swinging from the back of the milkman's truck as it came down our street each afternoon.  My parents specifically told the milkman I was not allowed, so I couldn't even sneak on.

 That says two things.  I was a very over protected only child and my God society has changed in so many ways.

40 years of gunk
Down in the mangroves, I was explaining to The Beach House Brat that we were upsetting the archaeology of the area by picking up all the plastic, glass and china in the mangroves, including broken crystal glasses and pie dishes, which if they haven't been there since the 1960's, they looked like they had.  We also found the top to an old cigarette tin, which may have been there since the war, because the area we were in had some old WW2 defenses in it and the foundations to an old wharf.  But it was pretty rusty so we chucked it along with all the other stuff.


I cleaned up the bottle after emptying all the mud into the garden, using a chop stick, some more water and bleach. Any messages left in the bottle, had long disintegrated.


Apart from some serious scratching, I think she came up pretty well.  A satisfactory reward for filling up a bag or two of rubbish I do believe.  It has now become yet another vase for an unsuspecting flower sometime soon.


The other reward was coming home to a beautiful fire, a hot cup of tea and a little tangy lemon square.  What more could you want?

Lemon Squares
125g / 4.5 oz butter
1/4 cup icing sugar sifted
1 1/4 cup plain flour sifted
3 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons lemon rind, finely grated
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven 180C/375F
Grease a 23cm /9 inch square pan. Line the base with baking paper, allowing the paper to over lap to assist with removal after cooking.

Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth.  Stir in one cup flour.  Press mixture into the base of the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, place eggs, caster sugar, remaining flour(1/4 cup), lemon rind and juice in a clean bowl an whisk until well combined.  Pour egg mixture over the hot cooked base.  Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Cool in a pan on a wire wrack.  Carefully lift the slice from the pan using the over lapping baking paper.

Cut into squares and dust with extra icing sugar if desired.


Have a great week.  For more easy and delish baking and dessert recipes go here.

12 comments :

  1. oh they look just perfect!!! Tangy-delicious!

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  2. My grandfather used to be the milkman around Double Bay and Valcuse when my mother was younger .He used to have a horse drawn cart and my nana told me the kids loved him and his horse-love dee x

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  3. Yum these look delicious.
    Iv been going through my piles of food magazines as well and tearing out the recipes I want to try and then passing the magazines onto friends. I have a peg magnet so keep the recipes on the fridge to tempt me to try 1 a week and if I like it then it makes its way into my favourites cook book :)

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  4. I could go for a slice of that right about now Carolyn. Just boiled the kettle. What a lovely find.

    Anne xx

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  5. looks lovely, love lemon flavours this time of year!

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  6. Another yummy recipe Carolyn. I'm sure the kids love it. And you did a good job with that bottle.

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  7. That is one gorgeous milk bottle. And to think I paid $30 bucks for one at Rust last week lol x

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  8. My husband would love these. He craves anything lemon. I will definitely make these for him. Fabulous find on the milk bottle too. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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  9. I love lemon flavored desserts. Your bars look so delicious. I bet they were a hit.

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  10. the lemon squares look so good! love that old bottle- what a find!

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  11. Popping in from FNF, I love lemon squares! I'll have to try this recipe next time I make them. It looks similar to the one I use:)

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  12. Gorgeous pics - love the lemon slice, although I don't have a sweet tooth they look very tasty and tempting. I found a few bottles like that buried in our back garden when we renovated and they cleaned up a treat.

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