baked!: summery lemon squares ( + my lemon love)

i think that if i were forced to pick my all-time favorite citrus, lemon would be it -- and in fact, lemon would probably be my all-time favorite fruit, too. i realize this may sound odd coming from a born-and-bred florida girl -- i mean, we love our oranges here -- but from taste to scent, lemon is my number one.

i went to a barbecue at one of my best friends' homes over memorial day weekend, and when i asked what to bring for dessert (because we all know i'm always going to bring dessert), she suggested lemon squares. so after poking around for recipes on the internet, i finally settled on deb's adaptation of ina's lemon squares.

i wasn't disappointed. these bars look and taste like summer. they're the perfect mix of tart and sweet, and the sift of powdered sugar that tops them puts them right over the edge. plus, they're so easy to whip up -- honestly, the hardest part is waiting for the sugar-cookie crust to cool completely.

oh, and full disclosure: the deb version of this treat is more equal in the crust-to-filling department than ina's, and she recommends shortening the cooking time. i somehow missed that note and left them in my oven longer than i should have, and they were still perfect -- maybe a touch more, um, solid than they would be with a shorter bake time, but lacking nothing in the flavor and texture department. make them!