Cooking for Couples: Joy of Cooking's Lemon Curd Bars

You're probably familiar with the idea that a meal tastes better when someone else makes it. I'd like to propose a new idea; namely, that a meal tastes better when you make it with someone else. With the holiday cooking and baking season upon us, I thought it might be fitting to share a recipe that I recently (as in tonight) discovered is very conducive to cooking together as a couple.

I have to give my husband some credit--this whole cooking together idea was his. I was a little skeptical, but very willing, and I would say we met with relative success. The process was smooth and easy and the product was delicious.

Some recipes are more conducive to a duo than others, and we got pretty lucky with this one; it was very couple-cooking-friendly. You can find the original recipe on page 765 of the 2006 edition Joy of Cooking, but below you can find a couple-ready version.

Lemon Curd Bars 

Partner #1
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together:
1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Pinch of salt

Partner #2
1. While Partner #1 completes steps 1 and 2 above, slice 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter into thin slices.
2. Use fingertips to add the butter into the dry mixture created by Partner #1.

Partner #1
3. While Partner #2 mixes the butter into the dry mixture, whisk together in large bowl
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar

Partner #2
3. After you have prepared the crust dough, grate the zest of one lemon into the moist mixture created by Partner #1. 
4. Then, stir in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 5 lemons).
(At this stage in the game in our case, Partner #2 had to run out to the grocery store and bring home more lemons...) 

Partner #1
4. While Partner #2 adds lemon juice and zest to moist mixture, press the crust dough Partner #2 created into the bottom and and 3/4 inch up the sides of an un-greased 9X13 baking pan.

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Together
6. When Partner #2 has finished adding lemon zest and lemon juice to moist mixture, Partner #1 slowly adds 1/2 cup all-purpose flour as Partner #2 continues stirring.

Partner #1 or Partner #2
Pour the moist mixture over the baked crust. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Bake about 35 minutes. Cool on cooling rack and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. 

Matty and I had a lot of fun and a nice evening preparing this from-scratch dessert for our family tonight, and everyone agreed that it was really tasty.

Plus I learned something new about my husband: He is not only a backseat driver; he is also a backseat baker...

The finished product pictured above is Joy of Cooking's Lemon Curd Bars. As it turns out, this recipe was very easy to make together, and tasted great!