Whole Lemon (and a litttle Lime) Bars

 

Me writing up this recipe came about due to one of those ‘small world isn’t it’ moments which only seem to happen in Ireland

We’d said a sad farewell to Ann’s Delicious when she closed her stall at St George’s Market earlier in the year, but were delighted when she and Donal opened Keane’s Deli in Hillsborough a few months later. On my way to visit a good friend recently, I called into the Deli for a chat with Ann, who not only knew where I was headed, but what I was going to be eating too!

Hashtag smallworld!

One of my treats that day, as well as Miranda’s famous homemade Raspberry and White Chocolate scones, was a delicious Whole Lemon Cake from the Deli, which was so lemony that I resolved there and then to try to make it for myself.

So here are the results of my labours.. It’s ok, you can thank me later  😉

EQUIPMENT:

•  20x20cm square cake tin, lined
• a food processor – you really must have one for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS: These come in two lots:

The Base:                                                   

• 115g unsalted butter, cubed
• 65g sugar
• pinch of salt
• 125g Plain flour

The Filling:

• 1 thin-skinned lemon, about 130g weight.  See NOTES below
• 1 lime, finely zested and cut in half.
• 200g caster sugar
• 115g unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons of Cornflour
• pinch salt

METHOD:

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees fan, with a shelf in the middle of the oven.

Make the base –

• Put all the ingredients for the Base into the food processor and whiz until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Pour it all into the prepared tin, and pat down with your fingers

• Cook for 20 minutes until lightly golden
• Remove from the oven (leave the oven on) and pat down any raised bits with the back of a spoon.

Make the filling

• Prepare the lemon (mine was quite thick-skinned so I cut off the rind from one half as described in the NOTES below)

 

 

• Remove all pips, cut the lemon into thin slices.

• Wipe out the bowl of the food processor.
• Put in the lemon, add the sugar and blitz until the lemon has been completely broken down
• Add the butter, Corn flour and salt. Whiz until well combined.

• Leave the motor on and add the eggs one at a time through the shute.  
• Zest the Lime and add the zest to the bowl.
• Squeeze in the juice of half the Lime.
• Give it one more whiz, then pour the whole lot gently onto the base.
• Put into the oven for about 35-40 minutes until it’s lightly golden and still has a little wobble in the middle.

• Leave it to get completely cold in the tin ( you can stick it in the fridge if you like)
• Using the lining paper, remove the whole cake gently from the tin, run a flat-bladed knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the lining paper, then cut into squares or fingers as you wish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy that lemony zing!

NOTES:

• If you only have a thick-skinned lemon, cut it in half, then remove as much zest and pith – particularly the pith – from one half. Leave the other half lemon as it is and proceed with the recipe.