No-Fail Fundakowski-Feldman Lemon Bars

My parents recently sent me a whole Priority Mail box of lemons, and prior to my backpacking trip I made a batch (cooked a little longer at a lower temperature for both chewyness and durability and because the power went out in the process). Lemon bars, after all, are a combination of carbohydrates, simple sugars, bright, bold flavors and pure fat--perfect for any cool-weather camping or backpacking expedition! Without further ado, my parents' no-fail recipe: No-Fail Fundakowski-Feldman Lemon Bars makes one jellyroll pan or 9 by 13 pan, makes around 40-50 cookies Crust: 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) butter (or margarine) ½ Cup confectioners sugar (you can go 1/3 c confectioners then remaining sugar in the raw if you like the crunch like me) 2 Cups flour 1 teaspoon salt (optional, my addition) Topping: 2 Cup sugar (or, 1 1/2 C. turbinado sugar, 1/2 C. white sugar if you like the crunch of the big crystals) ¼ Cup flour 4 Eggs 6 Tblsp. Lemon juice (1/3 C. plus 1 T.) Very outer rind of 1 – 2 lemons, micro-planed if you have one, grated if not 1 tsp. Baking powder pinch-dash salt (I go dash, recipe says pinch) Powdered sugar for dusting the top (1/4 c) Coat 9x13 inch baking pan or jelly roll pan with non-stick spray or margarine and preheat oven to 350º F. Assemble crust; cut butter into sugar and flour mixture (or food process for great ease!). Press crust into 9 by 13 inch coated baking pan. Bake at 350º for approximately 20 min. or until barely browning (your nose knows when the crust can come out!). While baking, beat eggs in large mixing bowl; If using raw sugar or turbinado sugar cream in sugar at this time to give it a little more time to incorporate. add all but lemon juice and rind and mix until smooth and creamy. Finally add lemon juice and rind. Pour on top of baked crust and return to 350º F oven for 25 minutes or until top is set. Dust with confectioners sugar and cut into bars when cooled and set. Bite-sized bars work best, no matter what size the bars at Starbucks are. Keep all the chewy edges for yourself, give away the ones that look nice but are inferior in texture. Store in airtight container with wax paper between layers of cookies. These freeze very well.

Cranberry apple cook-down.

I saw Tyler Florence on Food 911 (on Food Network) make this lovely Apple-Cranberry Kissel with Sweet Sour Cream, which looked so good that I modified it to make the following. If you like warm, cooked rhubarb, then you'll love the following: 5-6 cheap little apples (I used golden delicious; tarter choice would be granny smith) 2 c of a nice tart cranberry juice cocktail 1/3 c white sugar (if you haven't tried organic, give it a go: so worth it) 1/3 c dark brown or turbinado sugar 2 t ground cinnamon 3 T corn starch with 1/2c cold water 1 pinkie-tip-sized piece of fresh ginger, microplaned Cut the apples into quarter-sized pieces, leaving skin on for nutritional content. Add to large pot on medium-high heat, and mix in cranberry juice, sugars, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook down for circa 20 minutes till it starts to look like a thin, chunky applesauce. Your apartment will smell like Christmas at this point. Add slurry, a little at a time, allowing the mixture to cook clear and thicken. Add more slurry till you get a nice thin cobblery sort of filling. Chill at will. Feeds you and five hungry roommates.