"All is Full of Love…"
Vincent van Gough
Still Life with Decanter and Lemons on a Plate
Paris, Spring 1887
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gough,
Vincent van Gough Foundation
What better way to say thank you than with a box full of freshly made lemon bars? Yesterday afternoon, I had the most amazing time with my friends up at the new, tres chic designer store, by george, and to show Amy, Vanessa and Matt (Scott had the day off and Katie was MIA, but they were there in spirit, to say the least) how incredibly awesome I think that they are, I had to surprise them with these gorgeous little bars of true Southern love. They pretty much make you feel as sexy as the clothes from by george make you look. So pucker up, ‘cause your kisser is going to be begging for more of these little betty’s. (See how sassy they’re making me?)
For the Crust:
6 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar, packed
¼ Cup Sorghum Flour
¼ Cup Tapioca Flour
¼ Cup White Rice Flour
¾ Teaspoon Zanthum Gum
1 Large Egg
Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8 x 11” rectangular baking pan and set aside.
In a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until very smooth. Add the sifted dry ingredients and continue mixing until the dough resembles a bowl of dancing brown pearls. Pour in the egg and mix until smooth enough that the dough folds back onto itself in thick ribbons and is the color of limestone.
Spray your hands with non-stick spray and gently press your dough into the bottom of your prepared pan until perfectly even and flat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust just barely begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the outermost perimeter of the crust is a rosy gold.
Although my intentions were good, I did a poor job cutting these lemon bars into symmetrical “rectangles.” To add insult to injury, I stupidly refrigerated my lemon bars over night, therefore causing condensation to form so when I attempted to delicately dust my little babies in powdered sugar, they just soaked it right up.
While the crust is baking, prepare your lemon curd:
MEYER LEMON CURD
1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
6 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
Zest of 2 Meyer Lemons
1 ¼ Cups Meyer Lemon Juice
In spite of their physical imperfections, they sure did taste devine.
Whisk together the cornstarch and the sugar and then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth. You really want to avoid whisking or whipping at this point as it can cause too many air bubbles to form. Place your mixture over a double boiler and, stirring constantly, heat until the lemon curd has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. You do not want the curd to be excessively thick as it will continue to thicken when it is baked further, so the consistency should be like fresh mayonnaise; just thick enough to hold a very weak fold.
When the crust has finished baking, immediately remove from the oven and pour the hot lemon curd onto the hot crust. Smooth the top with an off-set spatula and then resume cooking in the oven for 20 minutes more.
Allow to cool completely before slicing into rectangles. Garnish with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar for a splendid southern treat.
Serves 9
On top of all this, our art restoration friend, Dennis, just gave us this gorgeous etched rose to add to our own collection. We are still having fun trying to decide where to hang it and what frame to put it in. When cynergistic moments such as these occur, I always have Bjork’s long, echoing refrain singing in my brain, “All is full of Love…” The echo is so crisp it’s as if she is out there, singing in the mountains, and I’m the one hearing it in the valley.
Dennnis Balthuskonis
From a Suite of 12 Designs
“A Dozen Roses,” 1999
Acid Etching on Handmade Japanese Paper
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Karina
