Last Friday of the Month Recipe by Author Marianne Rice

Yummy! This sounds right up my alley.  

See what Marianne's family suggested for recipes...er, dinner :)

These bars are perfect for Easter and spring.

Lemon Cheesecake with cherry sauce.

Hi L.A. Thanks for having me. You asked why I chose this recipe...well, I love to cook and bake and spend way too much time in the kitchen cooking and eating. It was hard for me to pick a recipe so I asked my family for their help. My husband said, “Steak on the grill, garlic rosemary potatoes, and those fancy green beans.” My nine-year-old son said, “That’s a tough one. Maybe turkey dinner or homemade mac and cheese or cake or one of those cookies you make.” Still not helpful, I tell them. I’m looking for a recipe.

Teenage Princess rattles off about ninety-two desserts, chicken pot pie and fried haddock. And Sports Girl, who also loves to bake, lists a zillion recipes and then asks if we can make lemon squares.

And it’s settled: Lemon squares with cherry topping (because I always have to jazz up my recipes). They make the perfect after school snack, compliment any dinner (even Easter, which is coming up) and they remind me of spring, which is right around the corner (wishful thinking).

Here’s the breakdown:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour                        1 ½ cups white sugar

½ cup powdered sugar                                   ¼ cup flour

1 cup butter, softened                         2 lemons, juiced

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Blend softened butter, 2 cups of flour and ½ cup flour. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

-Bake for 15-20 minutes.

-In another bowl, whisk together remaining 1 ½ cups sugar and ¼ cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.

-Bake for 20 minutes. The bars will firm up as they cool.

-When cool, sift powdered sugar on top and cut into bars.

This recipe can serve 24, or if you’re like my family, uh, five. Cut into giant squares or cute little nibbles. Whatever your fancy.

I’m addicted to toppings. I didn’t get a chance to make this yesterday, but my favorite way to dress up a lemon square is with cherry sauce. It’s super easy and you’ll be wondering why you don’t make this sauce more often (also delicious on cheesecake, ice cream, cottage cheese, or my favorite—straight from the spoon to my mouth.

Cherry Sauce:

-Bring 2 10-ounce bags frozen cherries, 2/3 cup sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil.

-Blend ¼ cup water and 2 TBLSP cornstarch in a bowl and stir into the boiling cherry mixture. Return to boil until thickened to your liking.

-Remove from heat and add a few TBLSP lemon juice (to your liking) or 1 tsp almond extract (my favorite)

Short Book Blurb:

Rayne Wilde wants the husband, the house full of children and the white picket fence. Which is why she cannot sleep with Trent, the confirmed bachelor whom she’s befriended. As their relationship grows and secrets are revealed, the stakes get higher and the spark burns hotter. Can they handle the heat when life-changing secrets are laid bare or will one of them and run away from the life they’ve worked so hard to avoid?

Buy Links:

Amazon |  Amazon UK

Bio:

Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. Her heroes are big and strong, yet value family and humor, while her heroines are smart, sexy, sometimes a little bit sassy, and are often battling a strong internal conflict. Together, they deal with real life issues and always, always, find everlasting love. When she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate, chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, relaxing with fancy drinks and romance books. 

Find Marianne:

Website | Amazon Author Page

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Goodreads | Pinterest