If at 1st you don't succeed, there's always Ina!

All this baking and blogging has gotten me very excited, very ambitious. I want to try recipes I've never tried in my entire life, baking everything from scratch, using ingredients that are seasonal or only found in specialty stores. I read myself to sleep with cookbooks and Cooking Light Magazine and then I dream about what my next project will be.

This all sounds very fun (or perhaps very crazy) but recently, I've discovered a flaw in this challenging baking style. Every time I bake something, I learn something. This something gets stored in the back of my brain for later use. Tips for how to improve something's texture, ingredients I should add or remove, another method of photographing the end product. I save these tips for next time. But how will there ever be a next time if I keep wanting to try new things every time I bake?

One of my softball teammates brought this all to my attention last week. I had shared my Gooseberry Thumbprints at our game and she put in a request for what I would bake for the team the following week (In addition to being Team Manager, I've now officially assumed the position of Team Mom). She wanted Lemon Bars. Now, if you remember, Lemon Bars were one of my first posts, just about a month ago. I reflected on that post and everything I learned for next time.

This time around, I went with Ina Garten, a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Bars. I LOVE her recipes. I've never made anything of hers that wasn't outstanding and these lemon bars are no exception. They have the perfect ratio of crust to filling, which was something I found lacking in the previous recipe, not enough filling! Also, I learned the hard way that lemon bars are not something to be "eaten right out of the oven." They need to sit. Like ALL NIGHT. This time, I was patient and they were SO perfect the next day. I learned something very important this week. Trying something new is fun, but trying something again and perfecting it is extremely rewarding!

Lemon Bars

by Ina Garten from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 tsp salt

Filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 Tbs grated lemon zest (3-4 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 baking dish, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill in the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350 degrees F.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. It will be light brown around the edges and will not jiggle in the center if you tap the sides of the pan. Let cool to room temperature, preferable overnight.

Cut off browned edges and cut the rest into squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.