I am so excited to have a huge kitchen, two lemon trees and a lovely oven at my new house. So excited, in fact, that I have been baking a favourite thing. Lemon squares!
When Rin was little, I used to make these all the time. They’re almost whole-heartedly based on a recipe from Stephanie Alexander’s book ‘Stephanie’s Seasons’, but I’ve seen a similar recipe in the Australian Women’s Weekly too – some people might recognise the bones of these from there. THIS recipe is my version of Stephanie’s recipe (which she got from Jessica!) Just to be clear.
I like to cook these until they are quite golden because it makes them nice and chewy on the outside (but still moist inside!) Maybe you want to do that too?
Tangy, Chewy Lemon Squares
What you need
for the cake-y slice
3/4 cup of butter
3/4 cup of white or caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp of baking powder
a dash of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
rind from about half a lemon
for the syrup
juice of two lemons
1/2 cup of caster sugar
How to make it
The slice bit
Cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the vanilla. Beat well. Add the eggs, baking powder and flour – a little at a time – alternating.
Grease and line a square or rectangle tin (25cm x 17cm is the best size but I used a bigger tin – it just meant my squares are not as high as they could have been. No biggie!)
Spoon the mixture in and smooth it out. Dot the top with the lemon rind.
Bake in a 180 C oven for 40-45 minutes or until cooked and golden.
The syrup bit
Mix the lemon juice and sugar together. Pour over the hot cake as soon as you take it out of the oven.
Allow to cool and then slice into squares and gobble down with a big cup of tea.
Yum! Are you partial to a slice? Do you have a nice kitchen to bake in?
Also on my blog:
Ace days ahead
We moved house!
Learn some cool stuff with me
How to be a penpal to a child in detention
I’m a mentor in the Etsy Creative Courage Challenge
Some observations on people’s (often weird) online behaviour
Ten nice things to do for the favourite people in your life
Is it lemon zest that is called for in this recipe? And when do you add it?
Yes! I’ve called it ‘lemon rind’ here! Happy baking! x
I made this slice and took it into work for Friday morning tea. It was soooo yum! Everyone loved it and wants the recipe. Thank you for sharing it!
So, I made the slice, reading the recipe off my device as i went along. Baked the slice. Cooled the slice. Cut the slice. Ate the slice. Copied the recipe into my handwritten recipes book. “Pip’s Tangy Chewy Lemon Squares”. My family may wonder in future times “Who was Jamie? (Tart Tatine), Who was Nigella ? (Yoghurt pot cake), Who was Pip?(Tangy Chewy Lemon Squares). I hope they will know who Nan and Mum and Aunty Peg are!
Thanks for the great recipe, Pip. I made the slice tonight to have with a cuppa and it’s so yummy. Thumbs up from me and my chap ( he went back for seconds. )
PS I totally made this today, in my tiny Chinese oven, while listening to this completely delightful ep of Chat 10 Looks 3 (http://www.chat10looks3.com/podcast/ep6 – are you a fan?) and I can not wait to chomp into it, it looks so chewy and tangy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe Pip!
Looks AMAZING :O
Totally partial to a slice, especially a lemon one. My kitchen is dark and annoying, but one day I hope to change that!! x
That looks yum! i usually do an unbaked lemon slice from the Australian Women’s Weekly. But I am going to try your one tomorrow in my new oven in my new kitchen! Here’s to tangy yumminess!
Yum! Just reading that is making me drool….Keep testing that oven!:)
Yum! I am so partial to a slice, especially a lemon one. I do not have a proper kitchen here in China (no oven) so will give this a try back in Aus. Enjoy the chewy tangy goodness! x
Perfect timing! I was just about to search for a lemon cakey thing to use up a plethora of lemons. This looks fabulous. Congratulations on your new house too.
I think I’ve said it about 10 times to you now but I am just so happy to read how happy you are in your new place! I smile every time I read something about it. Having a home that makes us happy is just so important isn’t it?
And I would totally make this cake if I wasn’t the only person in my family to love lemon cakes. I’m living with weirdos!
Make it anyway! I’m the only one that likes lemons here too so I just accept that sometimes I have to throw a bit of cake, or tart, or curd away.