Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Summer Fun At The Pool


Whew! It has been a week, let me tell you. Hayden caught a virus that gave him a high fever for several days. He was okay until Wednesday night when he couldn't keep food down. Then he stopped eating and drinking and started to get dehydrated so we took him to the ER Thursday afternoon. The doctor there gave him some anti-nausea medicine that helped settle his stomach, which in turn allowed him to eat and drink and keep it down. It worked, he took a nap, drank milk, felt better then started flirting with the nurses. The doctor was happy with his progress so he didn't have to be hooked up to an IV afterall. Thank goodness. After the fever broke, he got a rash for a few days and that is finally going away. He is just about back to normal and acting like his silly self again. 


Over the weekend we went swimming at a family friends' house. Hayden has never been in a swimming pool before but we hoped he would like splashing in the water. He loved the water and was so relaxed by it. Instead of splashing around and having fun, he took a nap- twice! The water was so soothing and he was so relaxed in my arms that he just drifted off. He did have fun lounging in his floaty too. And I have to tell you, he is so darn cute in swim shorts and a cap :-)

I made these bars about a week before my birthday and they were freaking delicious. If you like key lime pie, you will love these. It's essentially the same recipe but in bar form and it uses lemon juice in stead of lime. These bars also have the summery addition of blueberries too, but raspberries or blackberries would be just as good. Heck if you want to use lime juice, go ahead and make them your way. These bars are the epitome of summer- they're bright and citrusy, fruity, tangy and creamy. I made them on an ordinary day but they're the perfect treat to enjoy poolside to beat the heat. 


Blueberry Lemon Bars slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Printer Friendly Version 

For the crust: 
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Zest of one lemon
For the filling:
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk 
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of prepared pan. Bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
To make the filling, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture is smooth and begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the 3/4 of the blueberries, reserving some for the top. 
Pour the lemon blueberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust then top with the remaining blueberries. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.
Cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled. Cut into bars and serve. 

49 comments:

From the Kitchen said...

Yum! Blueberries at in season here right now and I've been enjoying them in many ways.

So glad Hayden has bounced back. Love the photo with the hat and pacifier floating in dad's arms!!

Best,
Bonnie

Abby said...

The bars are so pretty! How do you always get everything to slice so nicely? And that crooked little smile of Hayden's is one of the cutest things ever.

Unknown said...

I'm so glad Hayden is getting better. And he looksso cute splashing in the water :)

The bars look incredible and perfect for summer! :)

Unknown said...

These look delicious! What kind of consistency does it have? I ask b/c my husband and I are heading home for the county fair soon, and I need to whip out some pie-baking skillz for the contest. :P

Good to hear your son made it through the heat. I've been there before, and even as an adult it's not fun.

Monica H said...

Abby- Hope you enjoyed your summer vacation! I cool the bars completely and don't cut into them unless they are super cold. From there I use a serrated knife and cut straight down, no sawing. Then I wipe the knife clean in between slices to make sure each bar is perfect.

The Blue Faerie- Have you ever had key lime pie? The texture is exactly the same, It's kind of like a thick custard/cheesecake but it's not heavy and it's ultra creamy.

Memória said...

I am so relieved and happy to know Hayden is feeling better. WHEW!! He looks so cute in the water!

Anonymous said...

This looks wonderful. Glad Hayden is well...what a scare. I'd like to pin this, but you don't belong to it? I don't know how it all works, but I'd love it if you did have a pin thingy, so we can save it and share your great ideas and recipes. Have a blessed week.

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OmaSam said...

These look wonderful. So glad the baby is okay - it's SO scary when they get a high fever and can't eat or drink.

Katie said...

Glad Hayden is ok. That must ahve been worrying.

These bars look fabulous and the perfect summery combo. Love how softly set they are.

Cooking Rookie said...

Such cute pics! And beautiful bars! pinned :-)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Hayden had rosceola.

Going to have to try these bars--sound delish!

nursedi said...

These look so yummy. Any suggestions for making it Diabetic friendly. Love your blog.

mbc said...

Love the story of your sweet boy falling asleep in the water! Wishing I could join him!

These do sound and look amazing. I can't wait to try them!!

Heather at Kitchen Concoctions said...

So glad to hear Hayden is feeling better and well enough to enjoy the pool! Oh and these bars! Lemon bars are one of my favorite (non-chocolate) desserts and I love that these have the addition of blueberries. What is it about blueberries and lemon that goes so good together!

Paloma said...

Thanks for the recipe! I just made these today, kept one for hubby and gave the rest to friends... Hubby usually doesn't like lemon or fruit desserts but he kept saying this was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe! I'll share it on my blog tomorrow! :)

Anonymous said...

I am having a kick for blueberries lately. Already baked blueberry cheesecake. I may have to try these too! They look amazing.


Michelle
krumblecakesandsweets.blogspot.com

Marga said...

Made these today and they were great. Perfect summer treat. Thank you for posting!

Unknown said...

These look sooooo good. I don't think there is a better flavor combo than lemon and blueberry. Delish!

Vera Zecevic - Cupcakes Garden said...

Really nice and easy! And looks gorgeous! I will try this once !

Unknown said...

Would this work in a 9x13 pan if made as double batch?

Claire said...

Made them with blackberries and they were great - the blackberries left little swirls of purple throughout the lemon. Thanks!

Asia said...

These came out to be delicious! I easily made a double batch and will be presenting them at a BBQ potluck later today. I'll be surprised if they're not gone immediately. Thanks for the recipe!

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Filling a Swimming Pool

Cathy Newman said...

I’m glad that Hayden got well in time for his pool trip! I think he really enjoyed the water! Who knows, he might become an Olympic swimmer one day, so better get him started while he is young. And a quick trip to the pool is not complete without a mouthwatering dessert. Your blueberry lemon bars are definitely a must-bring snack! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

Deukap said...

Wow, this cake looks extremely delish. Makes me think about warm summer days during this cold winter weeks full of snow....

Anonymous said...

Hi there!

Was just wondering how long should I let the bars chill in the fridge for? The pics look stunning by the way!

Monica H said...

anonymous- just refrigerate until chilled all the way through- at least 2-3 hours.

Monica

Anonymous said...

Just made this for my girls night tomorrow :) They look and smell so yummy! Cant wait to taste them!

Anonymous said...

This is similar to my lemon square recipe.

The only difference is I beat the egg whites and stir them in. It makes for a slightly fluffier square and I also reserve some crumbs to add on top.

I have just done my recipe and added the blueberries and cannot wait to taste them. Cheers.

Anonymous said...

I made these last night, and they were so yummy! I kind of expected them to be thicker, and even when I froze them overnight, they were still a little runnier than I was hoping for. So it might make it difficult to leave them out at today's party, but I'm sure I'll be making these again for an around-the-house snack! Thanks for sharing!

Monica H said...

Anonymous- I'm not sure why yours were runny. I've made these countless times (I made them two days ago) and they've always set up just fine. Maybe next time you could bake them for a few more minutes til they firm up. Sorry that happened to you but I hope you like them enough to try again!

Monica

Anonymous said...

Not sure why but my batch wouldn't cook. We continuously had to keep them in the oven. After at least 25 min they had only just started cooking. They never actually cooked all the way through or got the right consistency but the crust and top were starting to over cook so we just left them alone. The concept sounded yummy just not sure why we had such a hard time with them.

Anonymous said...

Just made these the other night for my boyfriend. He said they are "perfect". Thanks for the recipe - they are quite delicious!

Unknown said...

I made these tonight, they are very easy to make and they taste delicious!!! Will make these again soon.

Cj PHOTOGRAPHY said...

These and your triple the citrus bars are both amazing and easy! (triple the citrus i actually like a tiny bit more)
I made these in cupcake tins with liners and it worked great!

How do you cut your bars so perfectly? any tips?

Unknown said...

I made these yesterday and they are really delicious. I did have a little trouble cutting them in the pan. I cut the first half in the pan and then put the rest on a board and was able to get much neater edges. Is that what you do? I can't wait to try some of your other recipes!

Anonymous said...

Would it be possible to double the crust and triple or quadruple the custard to make a kind of cake? Do you know how it would affect the cooking time and temp, if at all?

Monica H said...

You can double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch pan. You might be able to increase the fillings amounts as well but I'm not sure about the baking time. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.

Anonymous said...

Do you think you could put some cream cheese in these to make lemon blueberry cheese cake bars? That sounds like it would be amazing...

Swim Center of Aurora said...

Thanks for the post. There is nothing quite like summer fun at the pool.

Unknown said...

Is there anything I can use to replace the egg yolks? I'm assuming they're there to add richness to the bars and sort of thicken them up? Also, one last question, if I were to bake it in a 9x9 (since I don't have an 8x8) would it drastically thin out the bars?

Monica H said...

A 9x9- inch pan would be fine to use but you need to use the egg yolks to help thicken and set the bars. I don't know of any alternatives

Anonymous said...

Those look so good! Thanks for sharing!

kimosaby said...

Hi Monica

I have been wanting to make your Blueberry dessert for some time now, and I finally made it the other night for dessert yesterday when we had company over.

Well when your guests have a second piece you know they really love it. My husband and I loved it so much, that I made it again today to bring as a dessert to a friends place.

I have sweetened condensed milk, lemons, extra on the shopping list, as I have a feeling before the week is done that I will be making it again.

I can't get over how easy your dessert is to make, and Wow how great it tastes. The only thing I modified was I added about 1/2 cup extra blueberries.

Thank you so much Monica for posting such a great dessert.

olivia lane said...

Can't wait to make these. I may use raspberries instead of blueberries, but it sounds amazing!! So glad Hayden is better. What a cutie!!

Anonymous said...

Has anyone made this using a pre-cooked graham cracker crust? Thanks. And to Monica: several people asked you how you cut the bars so perfectly, but you never answered that question. Please let us all know. Thanks!

Monica H said...

They don't usually come out looking quite this neat. In this case, I used a spatula to transfer the bars to a cutting board. I used a large knife to cut straight down, never a sawing or dragging motion. I wiped the knife clean in between each cut.

Pre made crusts have never been that flavorful to me. You can try one and see how you would like it. They aren't as sturdy wait her but this recipe should fit into a pre made standard pie crust.

Monica H said...

They aren't as sturdy either*

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