Editor's Pick
MARCH 23, 2010 12:25AM
Rate: 32
baby Annie with (skinny) lemon loving dad, circa 1975
The first clue that DNA has a sense of humor was when the child was born 4 weeks late with a full head of stick straight dark hair and needed her bangs cut so we could see the color of her eyes (brown).
But that crazy genetic lottery surely had the last laugh. The chocolate addicted, frizzy-haired 19-year-old new mom gave birth to a child who loved lemon as much, or more than her grandparents and father. Sure, the child still enjoys chocolate and will swill it alongside her mother with gusto. But, through the DNA roulette, we had apparently hatched an 8 pound lemon loving baby. She arrived into this world craving all things lemon.
Little Annie would sit in her high chair, impatient for dinner to arrive. We peppered her with appetizers, cheerios or tiny pieces of fruit and veggies. The child threw all those unfortunate morsels on the floor. Minus a dog to clean it up, that certainly got old. One day, at the lemon loving in-laws there was a bowl of (oh, do guess) lemons on the table in front of the child. The baby pointed and grunted until some obliging adult who would not be me, gave her a lemon. A whole lemon.
It was difficult for me to look both amused and scowl at the same time. I couldn’t believe they gave her a lemon and thought it was cute. She rolled it around for a bit and then with that special look in her eye that only a mother knows, and before I could grab it from her hands, she shoved the whole thing into her mouth and bit down. I expected a cacophony of unhappy screaming to ensue, but before I could reach her highchair, she was grinning, giggling and biting the thing again. The other adults clapped with unrestrained glee for the tiny heir apparent. I stood there stunned. How in the world could a 6-month-old like the taste of lemon? She continued to bite down with the few teeth she possessed until a hole was drilled in the lemon and juice started squirting out. Everywhere.
My mother in law cut the beleaguered lemon into fistful sized wedges and the heir apparent grandbaby grabbed as many as she could in her tiny fat fists. She gummed those wedges until her lips were puckered, cooing and giggling the entire time. Her clothes were bleached where the juice dripped, and she was totally pickled by the time I removed her from the highchair.
The stuffy professor family was all too dignified to high five one another. Instead they did that head nodding thing at one another with a look that said – we’re so proud! She’s got the right genes after all! Smiling at the chocolate loving daughter-in-law, I knew they were calculating the odds of whether the next dessert at our house would be lemon or chocolate. The smile, of course, was because they figured lemon to be the odds on winner.
That same fateful evening, my mother-in-law whipped up lemon squares. I never used to enjoy those lemon squares because I swear she always left out the sugar. She, on the other hand, swears that there is sugar in them. Does a teaspoon count?
I drew a line at other lemon surprises though, and the family was considerate enough, most of the time, to not cross it. I got used to lemon bits in the strangest places, like yellow cake, on top of fresh berries and in every single frozen dessert. Apparently farm fresh strawberries were too sweet for my mother-in-law?
Those first few years I worked hard to impress my in-laws by bringing them lemon pie once in a while. But as time flew by, and we all got a little older, some of us (read: me) got a little more acquainted with lemons and branched out from lemon pie. I discovered a lemon square recipe that is actually tart enough to suit my mother- in-law’s palate yet sweet enough for me if I use Meyer lemons.
Since I know that the first thing Grandpa asks for is lemon pie when he arrives, I will happily make him some Meyer Lemon Squares next time they visit.
The child eventually moved on from cooing to talking. Backle was Annie’s first word. Which I am sure when translated from baby-speak, meant apple. However, some people in the family still insist it means lemon.
Sadly, the adult version of the child breaks out with hives after eating lemon wedges. No need to be disappointed. I hear they hide the bowls of lime wedges at the bars she frequents in the French Quarter. Apparently, limes wedges are the new lemon.
However, please don’t tell her grandmother.
These lemon squares are a gluten free adaptation of an Emeril Lagasse recipe. They are made with a lot of butter. Rich and delicious, perhaps they should be called butter lemon squares? But whatever you call them, they are fantastically perfect for the lemon loving in-laws.
Gluten Free Meyer Lemon Squares
(Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, 2004)
- 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter cut into small chunks
- 1.5 cups gluten free flour without any cornstarch (or regular flour) plus 2 tablespoons
- ¼ teaspoon each xanthan & guar gum (if using gluten free flour)
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar (sifted so all the lumps are gone)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Pinch salt
- 5 eggs
- 1 and ¼ cups white sugar
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
- Generous 2/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
- ¼ cup cream
- 1 tablespoon of lemon or other liqueur (I used orange and cherry)
Prepare a 9x13 square baking pan by buttering the bottom and lining it with parchment paper which hangs over the sides (you will use that as a handle later to remove it from the pan. Butter the parchment paper, too. Drop in the coarse crumbs and press into the pan until it is solid. It will seem fragile, but don’t worry about it. Refrigerate it for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while it is chilling. Bake for about 20 minutes until it is slightly brown.
While the crust is in the oven, in a separate bowl, mix the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers until it is fully incorporated. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to flavor the sugar. To that mixture, add the eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour and mix well. Add the lemon juice, cream and flavorings and mix well again.
When the crust is lightly brown, remove from the oven and mix the topping one more time.
Straining the filling through a mesh strainer, pour it gently over the crust and put it back in the oven. Bake at a reduced temperature, 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or just until the filling is set. Cool completely and take a knife to loosen the edges. Using the parchment paper, lift it out onto a cutting board carefully. Cut into squares. Top with additional, sifted powdered sugar when ready to serve. While there are usually none, do refrigerate any stray leftovers.
grown-up Annie with lemon loving dad, circa now
Comments
Oh L&P, I just loved this! I thought my daughter was the only one. She was just a year (maybe less) when she got a lemon in her clutches and has not let go since. She will eat a lemon like anyone else will eat an apple, rind and all. Don't get me wrong, I am a lemon lover, but Lola takes it to an extreme.
Oh, BTW, nothing tops chocolate in my opinion!
Rated,
Stephanie
Oh, BTW, nothing tops chocolate in my opinion!
Rated,
Stephanie
Love this. You always tell such a good story! The pictures are great, too...Annie looks like she's plotting something in that first one. Isn't it funny the way grandparents/in-laws make everything a team sport? ("She got that from our side," "she's definitely got her father in her," etc.) This was great. :)
Ummm, leftovers? I would think not . . .!!!
This is a blog that has it all. Cute baby story, bitter sweet in-law relationship (pun fully intended), and a recipe. Now my mom makes some internationally beloved Lemon Bars and she usually makes them with Meyer Lemons. She has never added any liqueur and I will be suggesting this in the future.
Love the lemons, yadayada. I can't get over the photos. That little kid was a dada? How young you must've looked yourself and reminds me I was born to a 19yo mom too. There are no - I say no - photos of her when she was pregnant with any of her 3 children. That kid grew into a very dashing man with a beautiful young wife - glory. And how ironic is it that girl child #1 can no longer eat lemons? Aak! revenge of the DIL! (and how sweet it is)! great read [r]
Aak! is right - I meant to type 'beautiful young daughter' but maybe you look alike anyway ... it's late.
You couldn't sneak a little chocolate into this just for yourself? Go ahead. I won't tell anyone. Great back story.
Another lemon-loving Annie here to say Ha!! We won!! Great story, I love the pictures, and the recipe looks fabulous. I am just trying to suppress my glee at the thought that Us Lemons are maybe, just maybe "turning" you Chocolates.
Annie and her Dad are gorgeous. And so is this story. I felt myself smiling through the whole thing. _r
Lovely memories, beautiful pictures. Lemon squares are a favorite here - en par with lemon merinque pie. Tartness is fine with me too.
Thanks for the post the recipe. ~R~
Thanks for the post the recipe. ~R~
Mmmmm...lemon bars by any name! I love the family pictures and story!
Mouth-watering, and thank you for sharing the back story -- I think that's one of those secret ingredients that's not on the list, making everything taste just a little bit better.
three cheers for gluten free!! xx a
This piece cracked me up! The description of the lemon sucking baby alone is hilarious and so well written. What is a "Meyer Lemon"? I am coarse in the ways of lemon.
Yummy, in every way. Such lovely family photos -- they fill me like nothing else. (I confess I choose lemon over chocolate too! But I have made these bars with lime and white chocolate chips.)
HA! Sounds like my family...me, the chocolate fiend, my husband, the one who would eat a pan of lemon squares on his own. Excuse my ignorance, but why do Meyer lemons make a difference? Are they sweeter?
It is my experience, and "I'm just sayin'", that most mother-in-laws require little or no lemon. hahahahah! But, it is true, lemon-holics can find the most surprising places to drop a little of that zest. Pasta salad? YES! I love your stories about food and family and think you should be writing a cookbook right now - filled with your memories and old photographs. I will buy the first copy :) xo
It is my experience, and "I'm just sayin'", that most mother-in-laws require little or no lemon. hahahahah! But, it is true, lemon-holics can find the most surprising places to drop a little of that zest. Pasta salad? YES! I love your stories about food and family and think you should be writing a cookbook right now - filled with your memories and old photographs. I will buy the first copy :) xo
This was really fun to read. I enjoyed! Rated.
Stephanie - thank you! what is it about lemons?! right there with you on the chocolate.
Lisa - Thanks so much! Team sport is a perfect description. And believe me, they won for sure.
Lori - true!
Anthony - the liquor is great. add your favorite. Meyers are great, aren't they?!
Gabby - we thought we looked old - enough. but looking back, perhaps not so much!
cart - I have stashes of chocolate everywhere. running low is akin to a three alarm disaster. don't tell anyone, but we also keep a stash of lemons around now, too.
Ann - yep. you are. sort of. maybe. a little bit.
Joan - thanks!
Fusun - you and my MIL would love one another!
Lucy - many thanks!
Raving - thank you! it does make it memorable, espc for the kids.
Akopsa - ditto.
green - they are a thinner skinned, much sweeter (when properly ripened) lemon with I think a deeper flavor. Certainly more color.
Bell - really? white chocolate chips? melted?
mamoore - yep, sweeter and deeper, less acidic flavor. more apt to be very lemony but in a really nice way. if you brought that lemon lover of yours a bunch of Meyers, he might swoon.
Ann - I forgot about pasta! yes! and tuna salad. everywhere! remind me to tell you about her obsession with mayo and lemon...on every veggie known to the universe. sigh.
Sheila - thank you!
ame i - kids are funny, aren't they? odd little ducks.
Lisa - Thanks so much! Team sport is a perfect description. And believe me, they won for sure.
Lori - true!
Anthony - the liquor is great. add your favorite. Meyers are great, aren't they?!
Gabby - we thought we looked old - enough. but looking back, perhaps not so much!
cart - I have stashes of chocolate everywhere. running low is akin to a three alarm disaster. don't tell anyone, but we also keep a stash of lemons around now, too.
Ann - yep. you are. sort of. maybe. a little bit.
Joan - thanks!
Fusun - you and my MIL would love one another!
Lucy - many thanks!
Raving - thank you! it does make it memorable, espc for the kids.
Akopsa - ditto.
green - they are a thinner skinned, much sweeter (when properly ripened) lemon with I think a deeper flavor. Certainly more color.
Bell - really? white chocolate chips? melted?
mamoore - yep, sweeter and deeper, less acidic flavor. more apt to be very lemony but in a really nice way. if you brought that lemon lover of yours a bunch of Meyers, he might swoon.
Ann - I forgot about pasta! yes! and tuna salad. everywhere! remind me to tell you about her obsession with mayo and lemon...on every veggie known to the universe. sigh.
Sheila - thank you!
ame i - kids are funny, aren't they? odd little ducks.
oh lord, he looks like a baby himself. What a cute family! I have everything but the zest, cream and liquor. I might try to make these today. :D I've always loved lemons too, my grandma had a lemon tree right outside her apt, and we'd make fresh lemonade. I love the way warm lemons smell in the sun and heat.
mmmm, I love lemon bars. They can range from sublime to kind of icky though, depending on who makes them. These sound great.
I found this interesting: " Sadly, the adult version of the child breaks out with hives after eating lemon wedges."
Did you know that you're more likely to become allergic to a food the younger you are when you started eating it? So maybe that baby craving for lemons is at play. (I found this out when as an adult one sister developed an allergy to shellfish -- something we ate starting from a young age - -and her doctor told her this.)
I found this interesting: " Sadly, the adult version of the child breaks out with hives after eating lemon wedges."
Did you know that you're more likely to become allergic to a food the younger you are when you started eating it? So maybe that baby craving for lemons is at play. (I found this out when as an adult one sister developed an allergy to shellfish -- something we ate starting from a young age - -and her doctor told her this.)
I love your story, as i have documented before here, I was 19yo mom, boy do I look like a kid in my photos. This is wonderful, with the updated photo also, both attractive folks...
As a person who does not cook (nor do I eat), I tend not to read the recipe articles. But this one is so clever, beguiling and revealing I couldn't resist it. You have a charming family.
Julie - a neighbor had lemon trees and I loved the smell in the warm weather too. nothing like it. except a chocolate factory.
Silk - I did know that and I bet you are right.
rita - thank you! I thought I looked pretty old at 19, but looking back, I kind of look like I am in grade school....yikes. thanks!
Monsieur - you are too kind. not eating is such an LA thing! if you are ever in the northern part of the state, let me know. I will cook for you and even make lemon squares! merci.
Silk - I did know that and I bet you are right.
rita - thank you! I thought I looked pretty old at 19, but looking back, I kind of look like I am in grade school....yikes. thanks!
Monsieur - you are too kind. not eating is such an LA thing! if you are ever in the northern part of the state, let me know. I will cook for you and even make lemon squares! merci.
I'm no chef, but I love the story. You never know how kids' tastes are going to develop.
Cannot wait to try the recipe! Thanks for the gluten free rendition! I loved reading the story behind the recipe...
R
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I love chocolate, but I'm also a serious lemon bar devotee. Thankfully I don't have a problem with gluten (and don't know where I'd get xanthan or gluten-free flour where I live). But I do tend to nearly double the lemon of a typical recipe, otherwise they're just wimpy. Yours sounds just right!
Also, chocolate and lemon love do not need to be at odds! There's always a strong case for making lemon squares, dusting on the powdered sugar, then drizzling a thin stream of bittersweet chocolate all over the surface...
Also, chocolate and lemon love do not need to be at odds! There's always a strong case for making lemon squares, dusting on the powdered sugar, then drizzling a thin stream of bittersweet chocolate all over the surface...
Awwww. Sweet story. These are one of my very favorite desserts! Yum!
Such a lovely story! I am closeted lemon lover born to chocolate lovers. It was my grandma that gave me that gene. She would say it meant I would appreciate the bitterness and the sweet that life would bring. Now I am the one that proudly carries on the tradition of her lemon squares every holiday. Well, except for this last one. My four and five year old daughters got to the pan that morning while I was in the shower. Only four squares were left intact and uneaten. Grandma woulda been proud.
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