{I Spy With My Little Eye, Something...Yellow!}

Can you guess what I will be baking today?

Here are a few hints: These treats have a thick crust, they consist of citrus fruits, and most of the people who I know would love to eat them at least four times a week.

No, um... it's not pizza (That's what my brother thought it was). Actually, I made...

Lemon Bars!

(Sorry, when I tried devouring this one I ended up destroying it a little...)


Whenever summertime draws near, I can just feel it. The temperature has gone up, the crickets are chirping, and then there is the occasional drizzle of rain. Riding bikes through the tranquil neighborhood, sipping refreshing lemonade poolside, an impromptu outing to the beach on a warm, sunny day - what's not to love about summer?


I felt very compassionate towards my little lemon bars - I know what it is like to be baked in an oven (the temperature here these past months have made me feel as if I was in a colossal sauna!) You may place the lemon bars in the fridge once they have cooled off. Let me tell you, biting into a cold lemon bar on a hot summer night is sheer bliss!

It's Lemon Bars Galore Here in My Kitchen!

I have had a sudden yearning to make lemon bars for a while now, and today I went to the supermarket to purchase the ingredients. Just looking at those cheerful yellow lemons filled me with glee!

Crust:
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup butter

1 3/4 cup flour


Filling:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup plain sugar



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
.
Prepare a greased glass pan.

Crust:
1. Mix the flour and confectioner’s sugar together.
2. Add the butter and mix until it has a granular texture.
3. Press the combined ingredients down firmly on the pan.
4. Pop this into the oven for 20 minutes.


You can make the filling while your crust is still in the oven.

Filling:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar together.
2. Add the eggs and lemon juice and mix them all together.



3. Pour the mixture over the crust.
4. Leave it in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar on top once it is baked, and cut into the desired sizes.

*Note: You can put this into the refrigerator if you want so that it will be cool whenever you eat one.

Oh, the desire I had to be able to take one bite...watching them bake for 23 minutes was a bit agonizing. I had to wait in anticipation to find out how they tasted like.

I did not add confectioner's sugar on this one. Instead, I tried to use granulated sugar, but there wasn't a substantial distinction in taste.

So. Much. Sugar.

Mmmmmoist

I think that this is a delightful treat to create during the first few days of summer. Have a fantastic summer, and have fun making these lemon bars!

{A Quick Update}

Hi everyone!

I have been baking a lot these past days, and I have been uploading a lot of my pictures into my laptop. Here's a list of some of the treats I have baked recently: Lemon Bars, Cheesecake, and, yes, more cookies! Actually, I used a basic cookie batter, and one batch has chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. The other batch has chocolate chips and walnuts.

I am going to upload more posts soon!

(Chocolate Chip) Cookie Monster

From cinnamon coated snicker doodles to exotic - tasting coconut macaroons, there is at least one cookie which compels one's eyes to go wide in exhilaration at the thought of biting into it. On dull, dreary days, nothing cheers me up as much as a cookie. What kind of cookie makes my heart pump a mile a minute, and makes my adrenaline race? Is it a dainty thumbprint cookie, with a an exquisite jam topping? How about a light and fluffy meringue, that would melt in your mouth at the first bite? If I could eat just one type of cookie for the rest of my life, it would have to be chocolate chip cookies. They are not as elaborate as an adorned sugar cookie, but when it comes to cookies, I gravitate towards the simpler ones. Once you bite into one, your head will spin with all the flavors. Sweet and buttery, with a slight hint of vanilla. Chewy, with gooey chocolate at every bite.

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter* room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

The cookies that I made became really ginormous, and we only had about 18. I am sure that you will have even more cookies if you make them smaller (I am going to try to make smaller cookies next time).


1. Set oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius).
2. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Set this mixture aside.
3. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until they are combined thoroughly.

4. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract, and beat them until they are fully mixed.

5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt mixture.
6. Add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: I used an ice cream scoop to put the cookie dough on a cookie sheet. You can also just use a normal spoon to drop the cookies. You can choose what size you want the cookies to be, and it is best to make them 2 or more inches away from each other.

My sister, caught in the act! You can see her hand trying to take some of the chocolate chips. She has a really big sweet tooth!

Some of the cookies were too big, so they stuck to each other a bit. Next time, I am going to put fewer cookies on the tray, and add more space in between them. I might have gotten a bit carried away with the size of the cookies…

If this happens to you, don’t worry! I have a simple little solution – use cookie cutters! Your cookies will end up looking cute, and everyone will want to sneak in one…or two… alright, I admit that I usually take more than three!

These cookies are really easy to make, and my sister wanted to use the heart-shaped cookie cutters.

I learned one more thing – your butter should be room temperature. I forgot to take the butter out of the fridge, and I ended up having to put it in the microwave! I do not recommend doing this, because some of the cookies had little butter bits in them! I love butter (who doesn’t?), but sometimes it is better to eat something without really tasting the butter in them. Before you start baking, make sure the butter is at room temperature! I don’t think I will forget that anytime soon…

A zoom in on my first cookie attempt!

Thirsty? A cold glass of milk has your name on it!

My First Post as a Blogger!

Hi, and welcome to my blog!

This blog is called Sticky Sweet Messy Treats because my posts will be an account of all the delectable desserts that I plan on making this summer. In fact, the first treat that I made many years ago included plenty of sugar and a very tremendous, very sticky mess! I hope that I will be able to add posts during the upcoming school year, even though this blog is intended to be used only during this summertime (although I am also going to do other things this summer, such as helping my parents with their businesses, and, of course, reading!).

I first wanted to create this blog for personal use, so that I could be able to document all of the things that I baked. As a child, I was not very interested in baking, but as I grew up, I was introduced to a variety of desserts. I realized how much I became fascinated whenever my family members cooked scrumptious meals. I loved noting how a few different items could come together to make something unexpectedly delicious, and I also looked forward to the mouthwatering scents that wafted through our home. I was looking around the house for something new to read, and discovered my mother's cookbooks. I enjoyed gazing at their pictures and reading the different recipes. I told myself that I should try it - what I assembled might even turn out tasting good!

Two years ago, I decided to go ahead and try it. I am glad I took this chance, because I have realized that baking and cooking are things that I really enjoy! I was taught recipes and tricks by my loved ones. After a bit of contemplating, I have decided to let anyone whom I have invited to read my blog. I hope that you pick up a few tips and tricks here and there, and that you might decide to try to whip up some yummy treats one day!

I will include the recipes for all of the desserts that I have made so that you will all be able to make them too. Please feel free to view this blog whenever you feel like it. I hope you can also learn from my mistakes, so whenever you try to bake, your results will be great! Thanks for looking at my blog! Have fun!