Celebrating Modern Jewish Living Through Food, Tradition, and Family
Charlotte’s Lemon Squares
This is the ultimate lemon squares recipe! They are creamy, tart, sweet, and just the most perfect balance of flavors.
The Backstory: Lemon squares are by far, one of my top ten favorite desserts. As I’ve waxed poetic before, I’m a sucker for lemon desserts, and just the site of a good, old-fashioned lemon meringue pie is enough to make me go weak in the knees. But that’s my mishegoss. This particular recipe is especially dear because it comes to me, and now to you, from the late and much-loved Charlotte Rosenfeld Baron, my husband’s grandmother on his step-dad’s (oh, we say dad in our family, but for clarity’s sake) side. More of the Backstory after the recipe…[reci
…The Backstory continues: Charlotte, through my father-in-law, (whom I call Dad), but again, for more detail, is also Rabbi Joel Baron, is himself, one heck of a cook. It’s easy to see that he inherited these skills from his mother. Dad has given me a treasure trove of his mother’s recipes, and it has been such a joy to read them (in Charlotte’s own writing, a great gift in itself), think about her cooking these foods, and then transcribe here into The Jewish Kitchen.
As I go through each of Charlotte’s recipes, and other family members who passed before my time, I imagine them in their kitchens, preparing for that night’s dinner, or perhaps a Shabbat or holiday meal. I wonder what little shortcuts they took and if they, for instance, leveled off a cup of flour with their finger or a knife, or if they eyeballed (more likely than not) most ingredients. Hard to know. But you’d be amazed by what you can glean just by their style of handwriting and the abbreviations they use. Re-creating these recipes brings a connection to them and an imagined intimacy of sorts for me. What an unexpected and amazing gift for me.
Charlotte's Lemon Squares
This luscious, tart, and tangy classic is simply perfect for any occasion when dessert's on the menu. Make two batches if you're feeding a crowd as these are always the first to go.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 9 bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup pareve margarine
For the Filling
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Instructions
-
Sift together the flour and Confectioner's sugar and cut in the margarine until mixture clings together. Press into a 9 x 13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes (until a little brown on edges).
-
Beat eggs, sugar, and lemon juice together. Sift together the flour and baking powder and beat slightly into the egg mixture. Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
-
Cool and sprinkle with Confectioner's sugar. Cut into bars.
Please follow and like us:
Jodi Luber
Here goes: Born in Brooklyn. Daughter of a bagel baker with a Henny Youngman soul and a mom who makes Joan Rivers seem tame. Late bloomer. Married the love of my life at 45 and love being a mom to our three kids. I'm a professor at Boston U. Happiest in the kitchen baking and remembering how my dad would melt from a single bite of my cheesecake.
Latest posts by Jodi Luber (see all)
- Easy Care Metallic Basketweave Placemat - March 16, 2019
- Festival Woven Placemat - March 15, 2019
- Mah Jongg Cheese & Dip Spreaders - March 15, 2019
- Pomme Gold Leaf Candy Dish - March 14, 2019
Subscribe to