So in an attempt to manufacture those spring feelings in the kitchen while winter is still knocking on the door, I made these bright, fresh White Chocolate Lemon Bites this weekend. The taste and color of lemons evoke thoughts of warmer times and lighter dishes, which is why I think this treat is perfect for that first bite of spring flavors.
Full disclosure: this recipe was originally written as White Chocolate Lemon BARS. However, after I mixed all of the ingredients together and got to the "add the mixture to the pan" part, I realized that the recipe called for a 9x9 inch baking pan, which I obviously didn't have (I mean why would a self-proclaimed "baker" have this normal, conventional-sized pan?). As far as I could tell, the amount of batter in the bowl would not be enough for my larger, 9x13 inch pan (unless I wanted lemon pancakes), and, honestly, I wasn't in the mood to just double the recipe.
So, in honor of the first day of spring, I decided to do some pantry spring cleaning to make this work. I had a full box of Nila wafers left over from another recipe, a mini muffin tin that I've only used once and I always have plenty of butter in my freezer. So why not make a little Nila wafer crust for the bottom of the mini muffin tin pan and then add a dollop of the lemon batter on top? Perfect solution to my minor dilemma!
My plan B actually ended up working well! I do wish I greased the pan with Crisco rather than just the oil spray, as they were a bit tricky to get out (the original recipe called for greasing the pan and then putting tin foil on the bottom that extended over the edges of the pan, so you could easy pull the bars out). However, the overall taste and consistency of the bits were delightful. The inside had a great gooey texture with a bright yet sweet flavor from the lemon and white chocolate chips. This was sandwiched between the slightly browned and flaky top and the crispy "crust" of the Nila wafers.
So if you're ready for spring to arrive, but can't control the weather, I recommend making these bright bites to satisfy your sweet tooth and cure those winter blues!
White Chocolate Lemon Bites
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup white chocolate chips
2-3 tablespoons yellow decorating sugar
NILA WAFER CRUST: ½ box Nila wafer cookes, ½ stick butter
ICING (optional):½ cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thouroughly grease a non-stick mini muffin tin with shortening or butter.
2.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt.
3.) Place vegetable shortening in large microwave safe bowl and microwave about 1 minute until melted.
4.) Into the bowl of melted shortening add flour mixture, sugar, eggs and yolk, vanilla, zest, and lemon juice. Mix with a large spoon until smooth.
5.) Stir in white chocolate chips.
6.) Put Nila Wafers in large plastic bag and crush/crumble into pea-sized or smaller pieces; pour crushed wafers into large bowl.
7.) Melt 1/2 cup of butter in microwave safe bowl until melted. Added melted butter to crushed wafers and mix until combined.
8.) Press just enough of the wafer and butter mixture to cover the bottom of each mini muffin cup.
9.) Fill the remainder of each muffin cup with the batter, using a butter knife or the back of a spoon to smooth out the top.
10.) Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11.) Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
12.) When cool, remove from pan.
13.) If icing, mix together lemon juice and confectioners sugar until smooth. Adjust consistency if necessary by adding more sugar or juice. Drizzle over bites.
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