Lotsa Layers

Summer is always a challenge for me, because in our office the temperature is the same all year. Yep — the thermostat here has three settings … Cold, Frigid and Arctic Blast. To be fair, I have been accused of having a comfort zone of between 72 and 74 degrees (anything else causes complaint), but yowza – I swear my office is usually in the neighborhood of 66 (a temperature perfect for penguins, not people).

No sundresses or short skirts for me … my summer wardrobe consists of turtlenecks, long pants, long sleeves and long underwear. OK, I’m kidding on that last one, but I have considered it … just as I’ve considered wearing socks with my sandals. Call me Grandma, but listen here (little whippersnapper) … my tootsies are about to freeze and snap off. I always wanted smaller feet, but not due to frostbite.

So now that warmer weather is finally beginning to arrive in Minnesota, I’m thinking about layers. Layers of cloth, yes, but also luscious layers of Lotsa Lemon Bars! Our recipe today features one of our Returning Favorites plus a delectable layer of Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread.

Check it out below, and button up! Summer’s here!

j*a*N*e

Joyful Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• Lotsa Lemon Bar Mix™
• 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• 1/3 cup Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients; stir until dough forms. Reserve 1 cup dough. Press remaining dough into a greased 8×8 baking pan; top with Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread. Crumble reserved dough evenly over top of fruit spread; pat gently. Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Makes about 16 servings.

Lotsa Lemon Bars

Testing Notes:

• These are seriously easy to whip up! And fast, too.
• I mixed up the lemon bars then used a 1-cup measure to scoop out the dough for the top layer. I didn’t pack it – just gently scooped.
• The Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread I used was from a new jar at room temperature, so it spread very easily. If the jar had come out of the fridge (or my office), it might have needed a quick zap in the microwave on medium to make it a little more spreadable.
• I baked the bars for 20 minutes, and in the end I wished I had done 25. That’s a lot longer than the recipe specifies. It could be my oven, or, more likely, me. I have no natural ability for baking and my oven can sense this. It taunts me.
• Even though they were slightly under-baked, my family and friends gobbled these up! It helped to put them in the fridge to firm them up a bit.

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