Christmas Lemon Bars

I can't even pretend to be a baker! My partner Tina is the baker in this house. Even with the help of gluten, baking just isn't in my skill set. Besides, I am a savory person and would always prefer something savory over a sweet. That being said, I continue to try, especially when lemon is involved. I love tart, lemon and lime both. Today, my famous friend Shauna, AKA The Gluten-Free Girl posted a recipe for lemon bars. That was it, I was sold. I back tracked on her blog to find the recipe for Ahern All Purpose Flour. Lucky me, I had everything I needed to mix up a large jar. I trust Shauna and Danny and this is going to be my go to flour for any gluten-free baking! You can find the recipe on their blog, http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/. I have always had a scale, something Shauna and Danny insist on for measuring. However, my scale only weighted in increments of 5, not good enough. So a few weeks ago I purchased an inexpensive scale that is precise to a decimal. Now, I don't have enough experience baking to back up my own opinion here but I totally agree, you must weight your ingredients. I find all of the gluten-free flours and starches are impossible to measure in a measuring cup. I love having a scale for baking.

These lemon bars are to die for, no kidding. I was a bit reluctant about the spices in the crust, including ground cinnamon and ginger. I love a lemon bar with a traditional shortbread like crust. But hey, it's Christmas time, jazz it up a bit. My dough did seem a little wet, but it baked up just fine. I was more reluctant about the freshly grated ginger in the topping, but Shauna has always suggested following a recipe as it is written the first time around and then make adjustments. After a little encouragement, I included the ginger, I am glad I did. It adds a zing that simply empowers the pucker of the lemon and pops in your mouth. Oh goodness me they are darn darn good, company worthy for sure. The dough still seemed a bit wet in the end and maybe even a little under cooked. If I made these again I would back off on the water in the dough. Shauna gives a range of water to add 1-2 tablespoons and I started out adding all of the water, instead of adding small amounts at at time until I got the desired consistency. Oh well, just means I need to make them again. I would also probably bake the dough a little longer.

You can find the recipe at http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/