Eggless Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars

Today's story, is of a dessert that will blow your socks off.

Today's story, is about buttery yet crispy, cold, creamy, summery, tangy yet sweet goodness.

Today's story is about calories, and how sometimes, it's totally okay to forget your diet.

Today's story, is about my Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars.

Between wishing for a summer vacation from work and my commitment to make something, anything every weekend, I chanced upon a recipe I've bookmarked ages ago. Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares, by the awe-inspiring Pioneer Woman, who I believe is my soul sister (she just doesn't know it yet). A killing heatwave in Delhi gave me my chance to make this beautiful dessert. I edited it a bit though.

Imagine a cold, creamy, citrus-hinted condensed milk filling, that oozes, but is also set in place, sandwiched between a layer of almost granola-like cookie base, and a layer of loose buttery cookie crumbs on top. 

And imagine if you could see it layer on layer as you make it. That's right, this time, I did not use my aluminum baking pans, but a Borosil square baking dish. Simple reason why. In this particular recipe, I don't need to cook anything, I simply need to heat it till it sets and melds. An aluminum pan would have heated very fast, and the sides of the layered dessert could possibly burn. A borosilicate dish helps here, because it heats gently, enough to set the layers together, but not enough the burn the edges. Plus, the layers looks gorgeous!

Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars

(Makes about 16 squares)

You Need:

• 250 gms of Marie biscuits/ digestive biscuits/ Ginger biscuits
• about 100 gms of salted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons of sugar, powdered/ castor
• Rolled oats (optional)
• 2 pinches of salt
• one can of Milkmaid
• A few drop of vanilla/ butterscotch flavouring (optional)
• juice of 3 whole lemons
• Lemon zest, about 1 tsp
• Oil, for greasing

The How:

• Put the cookies in a food processor and process till mostly fine, but has a few small chunks left. Alternately, chuck the cookies in a ziploc bag and go at it while a rolling pin till a similar consistency.
• Mix the oats in, if you're using it. Put 1 pinch of salt in. Put in the sugar.
• Chuck the softened butter in and rub it in till it resembles wet sand. Set aside.
• Very lightly grease a mixing bowl. Dunk the entire contents of a Milkmaid can into it. I greased it so the Milkmaid will be easy to pour out.
• Add the lemon juice, vanilla/ butterscotch flavouring, zest and salt.
• Mix well till completely combined.
• At this point you are totally allowed to taste a spoonful (or three).
• Preheat the oven to 180 celsius.
• Grease a large square or rectangular Borosil dish, preferably with handles.
• Now chuck half the biscuit mixture in the pan. Press down with fingers till it's an even crust.

• Dump the Milkmaid mixture in it. Spread lightly with a spoon so that it's even, and reaches all the edges and corners.

• Take a look at the side of the dish and whoop in glee!
• Now take the rest of the cookie mix, and gently sprinkle over the two layers. Be careful and ensure even coverage because you can't press this layer down.

• Now bake, at 180 celsius for about 10 minutes. This helps in setting it.
• Once done, take out, and let cool completely.
• Once completely cooled, cut into squares, but don't take it out just yet.
• Put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Now take the squares out gently. Some parts of the crust will remain and some of the topping will fall off, but that's the fun of this dessert!

And that's it!

Enjoy the summers!