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Lemon Bars

post #1 of 13
1/7/08 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
I made some Lemon Bars today for the first time and I didn't like they way they looked after I cut them. Anyone out here with cutting tips? I used a pizza cutter and wiped it clean after every pass...still tearing up the cookie, then I tried using my LARGE FRENCH knife, cleaning it at every pass and they still looked pretty torn up..

Here is what I want them to look like ( or aspire to)


This is what mine looked like:
(Pardon the blurriness, I was about to fall over when I snapped the photo:lol:)

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post #2 of 13
1/7/08 at 1:43pm
I don't make Lemon Bars, but I like the ones you made better.

It's the little bit of lightly crunch to the very top that I enjoy. When they look like the bars you are trying to imitaite, they never taste done to me.
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post #3 of 13
1/7/08 at 1:49pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, mine did have that "BITE" but they look sooooooooo "RUSTIC" ugh..lol

I'm trying to set up a "MUFFIN DELIVERY" service and I wanted to offers LEMON, ORANGE and COCONUT bars as an early morn option along with some savory muffins and slices of bundt cake.

I'm working on the recipes and timing now, as I've done the pricing work on the menu already.

Trying to keep it simple, but fresh...3 items with several varieties and let it be client driven ( you know, they ask you "DO YOU MAKE such and such...to see how the menu is driven)
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post #4 of 13
1/7/08 at 2:26pm
Were your bars chilled when you cut them? When I've made other bar recipes (haven't really done lemon much) they have to be really really cold for a clean cut. Just a thought...
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post #5 of 13
1/7/08 at 2:51pm
Thread Starter 
Yep, that's what I figured, I posted in my blog that they were cut while hot..not "OUCHIE HOT" but hot enough...I didn't have the patience to wait, I wanted to taste them as I've never ever had this type of cookie before. ( they just scream for a cup of coffee or milk..lol)

So, now I've decided to make them the night before, and slice them in the morning for packing.

Thanks!!
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post #6 of 13
1/7/08 at 2:58pm
They kinda look familiar, is it just lemon juice, zest, eggs, sugar, butter and bit of flour in the filling?

Why a pizza roller? It just drags the filling along as you roll it. I always used a big ol' Chef's knife and cut straight down, wipe off, and repeat...
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post #7 of 13
1/7/08 at 3:07pm
I would try getting a large (gallon or so) pitcher of hot tap water to dip your knife into between each cut. Just wipe it dry before you cut.

Unless that's what you meant by 'cleaning it at every pass'
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post #8 of 13
1/7/08 at 3:17pm
There is your problem. When I cut lemon bars for a photo, I chill them to the point where they are almost frozen-very stiff, but still with a touch of give to them.
I also use a heated double handled cheese knife and remove the whole bar from the pan before cutting. You do that by lining the pan with a large piece of foil and drape the ends over the edge of the pan. Then, when chilled, you just cut on the sides to release and lift the whole thing out using the draped foil as handles.
You might also scale back on the 10x just a bit so that some of the lemon curd still shows through. It has a bit more of a delicate look.

As a side note, the bars in the picture you posted look like a bit of gelatin was added to the filling. They are unlikely to be made with a baked lemon custard-just my opinion, but I've shot tons of these and can tell when a shot is for real, a stretch, or completely faked. Those are somewhere between stretch and faked, for sure.
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post #9 of 13
1/7/08 at 3:55pm
Thread Starter 
ok,

I spoke to my Chef Instructor and she advised that I bake them the day before so they are completely cold before I cut them and use a WET knife not a clean knife ( I was just washing and drying the knife and using it)

I tried the pizza cutter because I was thinking of using the accordion cutter when I made the full sheet pan.

I had lined the pan with greased parchment paper.

And YES, they do look a bit over loaded with the Confectionary Sugar, when I was tasting them, they had much less and more of the lemon flavor was "showing" through...

Now, they are just lemony sweet, still good, but sweeter than I myself like

what I was striving for where the clean edges on the first picture, which I may break out my fishing line and see if it does the same clean edge.
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post #10 of 13
1/7/08 at 5:52pm
Might I also suggest removing the entire, uncut panful of bars before you cut them. That way you don't have the sides of the pan to contend with. I line my pan with parchment and remove them (once cool). Then I trim off any hard edges and slice them with a chef knife.

Foodnfoto is spot-on, based on my experience.
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post #11 of 13
1/7/08 at 8:02pm
I have better luck with that when cutting bars as well (removing the whole thing from the pan). And I like the fishing line...sometimes I use dental floss. Between chilling, removing the bars from the pan and various cutting tools, I'll bet you get that clean edge!!
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post #12 of 13
1/7/08 at 8:27pm
I might sound drastic. but the ones I use are frozen then the cut will be clean with a warm knife. the flavor of lemon is spot on. Like eating lemon-ade.
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post #13 of 13
1/8/08 at 9:44am
Thread Starter 
thanks for all the help guys, since this is a product that I will be baking on a daily basis, I will post the new pictures of the cuts when the bars are cold to see if it's any better.

Mezza, I tried to pull the lemon bars out ( I had them on parchment paper ) Actually I had preped another pan..I placed parchment paper on top of the set custard ( to place the back of the sheet pan on top and then flip and remove bottom parchment and flip back over ) but immediately removed it thinking it would stick to the Lemon filling!

lol
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