Like Mom Used to Make...

Well, sort of anyway. Last night I set out to make buttery lemon squares using a recipe she's used since I was little. I've never tried one of my mom's recipes before, always thinking they'd never be as good. But this weekend is a special occasion: my roommate Emmy and I are having a housewarming party! And since this blog is all about new experiences, I wanted to post the recipe.

So I called my mom to ask if it was all right (for all I know this is some secret family recipe that no one else can know). Turns out it's not a family recipe, at least not ours. My mom got the recipe from a friend of hers in her UCLA graduate school program about 20 years ago named Emma Hipolito, who in turn got it from her mom. In fact, my mom tracked down Emma to make sure it was alright for me to post the recipe. I got the ok from all parties, so I will share it with you below.

As for how the lemon squares came out, they actually taste pretty good! I may have needed a bigger pan because I think the dough was a little thick (for the record I used a 9x13 dish thinking that the size dish the recipe called for was too big) and needed to be spread thinner, and also the meringue part came out a little gooey, but Emmy and I both tried them and gave them a thumbs up. Next time I may leave them in the over a little longer, maybe five minutes.

If anyone else tries the recipe let me know how it turns out!

Buttery Lemon Squares

Crust:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour

Meringue:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon peel
8 tbls lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flour

For the crust: cream the butter and sugar together, then blend in the flour. Spread the dough evenly over a well greased 13x19 pan, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

For the meringue: beat the eggs with an electric mixer until they're light. Add the sugar slowly, and when it's completely blended add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture over the baked crust and bake about about 20-30 minutes or until golden.