Chef In Disguise: Lemon Earl Gray Squares

Posted by Garbo on in Food+Drink | 0 comments

If you can’t tell we are avid fans of summer, but not the summer heat. A way we like to keep cool is by eating cool. No soups or stews for us in the summer. We do like the occasional chili, but we like to keep things cool.

A dessert guaranteed to give you that breezy feeling is this recipe for Lemon-Earl Grey Squares. The sweet mixed with the tart gives these squares an element to die for! What’s so unique is that they actually have earl-grey tea in them, which adds a depth unlike any other lemon square we’ve ever tasted.

Bake these as an ode to summer. We sure will miss you, sunshine! But, good riddance to the heat!

Ingredients

• Crust:
• Cooking spray
• 5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
• Filling:
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. To prepare crust, line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with foil that extends 2 inches beyond sides; coat foil with cooking spray. Weigh or lightly spoon 5.6 ounces flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 5.6 ounces flour, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon tea leaves from 1 tea bag (discard remaining tea in bag), and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 19 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. 3. To prepare filling, place juice in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tea bag to juice; cover and steep 10 minutes. Squeeze juice from tea bag into bowl; discard tea bag. Combine granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and baking powder in a bowl. Add rind and eggs to juice; stir with a whisk until combined. Add sugar mixture to juice mixture; stir with a whisk until well combined.
4. 4. Remove crust from oven; pour filling onto hot crust. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil; cut into 16 bars. Sprinkle bars with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.