Ultimate Lemon Squares Nick Malgieri Recipes

STRAWBERRY ALMOND TARTS

Steps:

• For the dough, beat the butter and sugar with the paddle on medium speed until very soft and light. Beat in the vanilla and the yolk and continue beating until smooth and shiny, about 3 more minutes. Stop the mixer, sift the cake flour and add to the butter mixture. Pulse the mixer on and off to incorporate the flour. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic, wrap and chill it until firm.
• For the almond filling, combine almond paste, sugar, yolk and zest and beat by machine until smooth. Beat in butter, scrape bowl and beaters and beat in eggs. Continue beating until light.
• Stir in flour. Divide the dough into 4 parts and roll one piece at a time on a floured surface. Use each piece of dough to line a 3 to 4 inch diameter tart pan. Mass the scraps together after rolling the dough for the first four pans and line the last two.
• Arrange the sliced berries evenly on the crust in each pan, then top with the almond filling, spreading it evenly with a metal spatula. Strew evenly with the sliced almonds.
• Bake the tarts at 350 degrees about 25 minutes, until dough is baked through and filling is set.
• Cool in pan, unmold and dust with confectioners' sugar. Decorate each tart with a few whole berries.

ULTIMATE LEMON SQUARES (NICK MALGIERI)

Steps:

• Butter and line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with buttered parchment or foil.
• Position oven rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°.
• In a standing mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed.
• Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla; continue beating a minute or two, until light.
• Decrease speed and beat in the flour.
• Spread the dough over the bottom of prepared pan, using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth it.
• Bake the base for about 20-25 minutes, until golden and baked through.
• While the base is baking, prepare the topping; be careful not to overmix the topping, or it will have a coarse textured foam on the top when baked.
• In a big bowl, whisk the eggs just to break them up.
• Whisk in the sugar, then the lemon juice and zest.
• As soon as the base is baked, remove it from the oven and pour on the topping.
• Immediately return pan to oven and keep baking another 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is set and firm.
• Cool on a rack until completely cooled.
• To cut, use the paper to transfer it to a cutting board and slide a long knife or spatula until it to loosen the paper or foil, then pull away.
• Trim the edges, use a ruler to mark, then cut into 2-inch squares.
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

CHERRY CRUMBCAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 by 15-inch jelly roll pan and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.
• In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until soft and light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the batter in three additions, alternating with the yolks and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter the cherries evenly over the batter, pressing them in gently.
• Scatter the Crumb Topping over the berries as evenly as possible. Bake the cake about 40 minutes until batter is firm and crumbs are well colored. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Cut the cooled cake into 24 (3-inch) squares. Remove the squares from the pan to a platter.
• Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Melt the butter and stir it in evenly. Rub the mixture to coarse crumbs by hand.

SACRISTAINS

Steps:

• Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; lightly flour dough. Using a rolling pin, press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. Continue pressing with rolling pin, adding a pinch of flour to dough between strokes, until dough becomes more malleable.
• Continue rolling dough back and forth without rolling over the ends (which may make ends thinner and stick to surface). Turn dough 90 degrees, and continue rolling in the other direction; roll dough, changing directions as necessary, into a 12-inch square. If dough gets soft, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat together egg and salt; brush over dough. In a medium bowl, mix together almonds, sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over half of the dough. Fold dough in half over almond mixture to cover; press to adhere. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks set in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Roll chilled dough out into a 12-inch square. Using a sharp pizza wheel, cut into 24 1/2-inch-wide strips. Twist strips into corkscrew shapes by holding at each end pressing in opposite directions at the same time. Place on prepared baking sheets, pressing into pan to prevent them from unraveling while baking.
• Transfer to oven and bake until deep golden, about 15 minutes, switching pans from top to bottom and vice versa, and rotating from front to back, halfway through baking.
• Immediately transfer sacristains to a cutting board. Trim ends and cut in half crosswise, working quickly, as sacristains will become crisp as they cool. Let cool on a wire rack. Sacristains are best eaten the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper.