(Graphic courtesy of Whimsy Studios.)
Last week’s suggested recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly was this one for Lemon Icebox Bars. I did not get them made in time for that post, so I chose to wait until this week. I hope that’s not the way the rest of my year goes!
I love anything lemon. You may remember that I have posted about that before. Lemons and limes are my friends. I think they just perk up the flavor to so many things, so I keep them on hand almost always. Try squeezing a little lime juice over your meat and vegetables just before serving; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
I avoid making baked lemon bars because I love them! If I make them, I eat them. Know what I mean? This Ellie Krieger version is a nice replacement for those high-caloric ones with which most of us are familiar.
However, I must confess that I “farmed” them out to neighbors as quickly as I could. They were just way too tempting.
I would so love to have a Meyer lemon tree like this one. If you’ve had any luck wintering one over inside, I would love to know how you did it.
Crust:
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14 whole-grain graham cracker squares (7 full sheets)
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2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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Cooking spray
Filling:
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1 (8-ounce) package 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
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1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
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1/4 cup pasteurized egg product (such as egg beaters)
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1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
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1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
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2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
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3 tablespoons boiling water
Make Crust:
Directions
Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until crumbs are formed. Add butter, brown sugar and salt and pulse to incorporate, until crumbs resemble wet sand. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and pack crumbs firmly into the bottom of it. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the filling:
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, condensed milk and pasteurized egg product and beat on high with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest and juice and beat until fully incorporated, another 30 seconds. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and boiling water and whisk until gelatin is entirely dissolved; let cool 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the gelatin into the cream cheese-lemon mixture until well incorporated. Pour the filling over the crust. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, until filling is firm. Slice into 2-inch squares using a chilled knife coated with cooking spray.
16 servings
While I followed the recipe exactly this first time, I will probably add more lemon zest when I make these again. We prefer really tart-tasting lemon bars.
(Photo courtesy of the Food Network.)
Linked to:
Food on Fridays @ Ann Kroeker’s blog
Foodie Fridays @ Designs by Gollum
Friday Feasts @ Mom Trends
My mom winters over her lemon trees and lime trees, wish I had some tips but I never get them to do anything!
Is the texture of these bars the same as regular lemon bars?
If it’s lemon or lime,I love it. Lemon bars…yummmmmmmmmm. I would probably have eaten half of them straight away. Only once has there been too much lemon in a pie,and it was one my mil made. It literally made your eyes quiver and just froze your mouth. Other than that strong, bring the lemon flavor on. These lemon bars look wonderful..very pretty.
These look and sound GREAT!!! my hubby will loves these.
Geri
OMG I think I am in Heaven. These sound awesome. I love lemon too!
Thank you so much, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
We loved these, too! Lemon is always so refreshing. I hope things get in order for you soon!
I’m with you on the lemons and limes….always have a good supply of them on hand. yum
oh yum to these. I loved looking at all the lemon bar recipes recently… But like you, if it’s in teh house, I eat it.. trying to moderate for a few weeks (I don’t say Diet)
Those look tasty!
Like you, I love lemon and lime, particularly in dessert. I’ve seen these on other blogs and would love to make them. However, lightened or not, when you eat the whole pan it makes it hard to track your WW points, lol.
mmmm, maybe i’ll join this club! i love anything with lemon in them!
That looks great! You ought to compile a cookbook….
These look wonderful. It’s interesting to see how she cut back on higher fat products. I’ll have to give these a try.
Lemon icebox bars are the perfect way to add a touch of sunlight to winter. Visit Tootsie Time’s blog. Glenda is a master gardener and if anyone can tell you how to keep a lemon tree alive, it’s Tootsie.
these were really good. And so easy. Yours look light and delicious.