Lemon Bars and No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

I have been super busy the last few days with a big writing project—a medical article on cancer that I just finished this afternoon. What do I do to celebrate and relax after I’ve completed a big writing deadline? BAKE! This evening I made lemon bars, a favorite of my husband, and no-bake chocolate cookies, a favorite recipe that my mom used to make for me when I was growing up.

My husband and sons definitely enjoyed the treats. After all, it’s nice to practice hospitality on your own family now and then!

LEMON BARS

1 cup white flour
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ cup butter
2 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp shredded lemon peel
Juice of one lemon
2 T. white flour
¼ tsp. baking powder

First prepare crust. Stir flour and confectioner’s sugar together. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press onto lightly greased 8X8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until crust is slightly golden around edges.

While crust is baking, prepare filling. In small bowl, whip eggs until fluffy and lemon-yellow in color. Add sugar, lemon peel and juice. Blend several minutes, until mixture is smooth. Mix in flour and baking powder, and stir until all ingredients are blended together well. Pour over baked layer, and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is set. Remove from oven, and let cool. Then sprinkle with additional confectioner’s sugar. Cut into bars. Makes 9 to 16 bars (depending on how large you cut them of course!).


NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups granulated sguar
½ cup cocoa
½ whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups “quick” oatmeal
½ cup coconut
½ cup nuts (sliced almonds or chopped walnuts)

Melt butter, sugar, cocoa and milk in 2-quart saucepan over stovetop. Stir and cook until melted. Let it get to boiling stage. Boil over medium high heat—stirring the entire time—for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and peanut butter and blend until smooth. Add oatmeal, coconut and walnuts, and stir until all the ingredients are blended together. Drop by rounded tablespoonsful onto a large sheet of waxed paper. After about an hour, they will harden some, and you can remove cookies from waxed paper. Makes about 2 dozen.

Happy Baking!
~Becky