This year’s deathmarch through winter has seemed interminable, and has brought on two maladies: a bit of Writer’s Block, and that peculiar cube-shaped fever known as Minecraft Mania. The Boy and I have been playing a lot of Minecraft together, it being far more colorful and compelling than the actual scenery outside. But I have been cooking, so, time to come out of hibernation (cube-ernation?) and let you see what I’ve made.

I bought a pound of Meyer lemons at the grocery store a couple weeks ago. They were so, so, so yellow-orange, and their fragrance was so inviting, I hoped they would be a rescue from my snowy doldrums. But they nearly succumbed to those doldrums, sitting on the counter until impending spoilage forced my hand. The result was Meyer Lemon Bars.

Meyer Lemon Curd Bars – adapted from Joy of Cooking, Rombauer/Becker

Crust:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
Pinch of salt
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Curd:
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar
Grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1 C fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/2 C all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 325 deg.F. Whisk together in a bowl the 1 1/2 C flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt.

2. Add the butter, and using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut in the butter until the mixture is the size of small peas. Press the dough into the bottom and 3/4 inch up the sides of an ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan.

3. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and reduce the oven to 300 deg.F.

4. Whisk together in a large bowl the eggs and sugar, until well combined. Stir in the zest and juice. Sift the 1/2 C flour over the top of the mixture, and stir in until well blended and smooth.

5. Pour the batter over the baked crust. Bake about 35 minutes, until the topping is set. Cool in the pan on a rack.

For some interesting reading about Meyer lemons, while you enjoy your lemon bars and a cup of your favorite hot beverage, pop over to a blog I follow, The Unorthodox Epicure. He recently wrote an extensive post concerning our perky hero-here’s the link: Food Snob Chronicles — Meyer Lemons 101 | The Unorthodox Epicure.

That’s all for now. Somebody please come and take all this snow away, and I’ll make you Meyer Lemon Bars. Heck, I’ll cook you anything you want if you’ll just make it stop. Meanwhile, I do believe it’s time to go zombie and creeper hunting…

See you on down the Road.