Lemon Bars

I have never tried lemon bars before. I always thought it was such a difficult dessert to make. It looks so complicated, like it has so many steps to them, and that seemed daunting. But this is my eye opening lesson for today. To never judge a book by its cover. To not just look at something and say to myself "I could never do that" " It looks to hard!"

From now on, I will give it a shot more often, because you never know how easy something could be! And when you accomplish the challenge, you feel so ready to try more and more.

That's the way I felt with these Lemon Bars. They are surprisingly easy and   Absolutely delicious! My family has never tried Lemon Bars either, but once they took a bite, they were hooked! So much so, that they were looking for more when we ran out. They are so light and fresh, and the lemon makes it Devine. Just writing about them makes my mouth water!

So never be afraid to try something new. You never know how easy something can be! A lesson for every part of life:)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine flour, butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar.

Press into ungreased 8 inch square baking pan, building up the edge to create a crust, up 1/2 inch. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool a bit

While the baked crust is cooling a bit, mix granulated sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon peel, baking powder and salt, in the bowl of a mixer, and mix until light and fluffy. Pour over crust, and bake for about 25 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares.

I was able to cut a dozen from the pan. I let them cool in fridge, as they taste best when chilled. Dust liberally with powdered sugar, then serve.

I found them to be very light and fresh tasting. perfect for the spring! My family absolutely loved them and I know you will too!

Russian Chai Tea Cakes - #SochiOlympics

I've been watching the Olympics at every chance I can get. And I find myself starting to love Curling!...Curling!! Yes I know! It's an awesome sport right?

I watch it at 3am! I think I can be a sweeper. My husband said it might be the easiest ticket to the Olympics. I don't know about that. It still looks like a complicated sport. Precision is everything.

Of course me favorite is the ice skating and watching the little snippets of Russia. I love all of the opulence and beauty of Russia. Faberge is my ultimate favorite! The majestic beauty of it all is just mesmerizing. 

So in honor of the Winter Olympics in beautiful Sochi, I am making russian tea cakes that have a hint of chai spice!

Flatten the balls to a biscuit.

 Coating of powdered sugar, makes everything nice:)

The chai gives it a richer flavor and a kick that tastes heavenly paired with a cup of tea.

Perfect for a brisk afternoon.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter

1 cup walnuts

2 teaspoons loose chai tea blend

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place walnuts, 2 tablespoons of the flour, and chai in a blender and pulse until walnuts are finely chopped but not yet a paste.

Place butter and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer, and blend until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar and remaining flour and mix until blended. Add walnut mixture, and mix until just combined. Roll them into 1" inch balls and  place them about 1" inch apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. I flattened them out a bit to create more of a biscuit. 

Bake for 12 minutes, then let cool.

Dust the cookies in confectioners sugar.