Cooking with Pastor King: Lemon (or Lime) Squares
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 24 squares graham crackers (NOTE: You can also you GF graham crackers or pretzels [for a
salty taste])
- ¼ cup of sugar
For the lemon filling:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup of fresh lemon juice (lime juice is another option for a key-lime flavor) Zest is optional
but adds so much
flavor.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 8x8 baking pan and line it with parchment paper (wax paper or a brown paper bag if you don't have parchment paper) allowing some paper to hang over two sides, so it can serve in helping to remove the lemon squares from
the pan later.
Crumble the graham crackers (or pretzels). Use a food processor or blender to pulse the crackers/pretzels (or put them
in a zip lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin, a large spoon, etc.) If you do not have a food processor, pour the
crumbles into a bowl. Add sugar and melted butter. Pulse (or stir with a fork) until combined.
Put crumble mixture into the lined pan, then press firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving about 1 inch
around the sides to form the crust.
Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes (or until lightly browned). Let the crust cool completely in the pan.
NOTE: Set a timer at 10 minutes to remind you to peek at the crust because you may get distracted while thinking
about the creamy filling!
Make the creamy filling while the crust is cooling. Add condensed milk and egg yolk to a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
You can use an electric mixer or a whisk. Then, add fresh lemon (or lime) juice and whisk until well combined.
Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is browned. Let the
creamy square completely cool in the pan on a cooling rack. You can refrigerate the squares after cooling to room
temperature to make the creamy lemon squares firmer. When you remove the lemon square from the pan l, use the
hanging paper, then place on a cutting board. Decide if you want 9 large squares or 16 small squares.
NOTE: This same filling can be used for a pie (or mini pies) with a ready-made graham cracker (or other) crust.