All good things must come to an end and Lemon Cookie Week is no exception. So without further ado, I present to you “Ooey Gooey Lemon Bars,” the final Lemon Cookie of the Week.
What? An explanation is needed? Why was there a Lemon Cookie Week in the first place? Did I stumble across a crate full of lemons? Was I hit in the head with a large lemon? Is the only cure for my disease a daily regimen of lemony treats? Well, it all started a few months ago. My 6-year-old Ben was looking through his favorite Sesame Street Cookie Cookbook, which features fun pictures, but the recipes are lacking. He really wanted to make some of the book’s lemon cookies, but I did not have the right ingredients. A few weeks later, Ben asked again. Again, I put him off. This cycle repeated itself several times, until last Friday. Ben was home sick and once again asked about lemon cookies. I pounced on the opportunity to make Ben feel a little better. Add a lot of parental overcompensation and walla, you have not only a batch of lemon cookies, you have “Lemon Cookie Week!” Ben’s brothers like to point out, “Yeah, but you still took a long time to make them.” Hey kids, don’t burst my lemony bubble, Daddy finally made things right. Savor the moment; celebrate “Lemon Cookie Week.”
Now, let’s close with a rundown of Lemon Cookie Week’s selections…
Sunday – Ricotta Lemon Cookies
Monday – Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Tuesday – Lemon Glazed Cookies
Wednesday – Lemon Sugar Cookies
Thursday – Lemon Shortbread Fingers
Friday – Lemon Bars
Saturday (today’s exciting conclusion of Lemon Cookie Week) – Ooey Gooey Lemon Bars (see below)
OOEY GOOEY LEMON BARS
“These bars live up to their name with a super dense, super moist interior. Plus, they feature sweetened condensed milk, which I could just drink straight from the can, and is perhaps the most delicious thing on Planet Earth. If you liked the Lemon Cake Mix Cookies, you’ll like Ooey Gooey Lemon Bars.”
Ooey Gooey Ingredients
15.25 ounce box of Lemon Cake Mix
1/2 cup Butter
1 Egg
½ cup White Chocolate Chips
½ cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together lemon cake mix, butter, and egg.
Line a 9”x9” pan with aluminum foil. Coat the foil in cooking spray.
Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Make sure to cover the bottom.
Sprinkle on the white chocolate chips.
Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the white chocolate chips and lemon cake mix dough.
Break the remaining 1/3 of the lemon cake mix dough into small chunks.
Flatten the chunks and place over the sweetened condensed milk, forming a patchwork top layer.
Gently press down on the top layer of dough.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the bars have browned slightly.
Cool completely to room temperature.
Before cutting, place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.
Makes about 36 tiny bite size bars.
Revised Source: “Lemon Gooey Bars” by Dorothy Kerns on www.crazyforcrust.com.