Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

This picture doesn't do these things justice. They looked and tasted a lot better than this, honest. That might explain why I once again included the original picture from Pioneer Woman (I love href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Ree).

Onto the good stuff--I made these because for some reason when I read this, I thought I read that they were going to turn out more like lemon bars. Yea, not so much. Their title is really what they are. They're really easy to make, but honestly, the fact that a whole can of condensed milk goes into this rather scares me. That added with the butter and sugar--well, no one said the Pioneer Woman made low fat or healthy stuff. It still tasted good after all was said and done, but I had a few hang ups about it. I feel bad saying anything negative about PW but this is a blog about adventures and the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good--the crumb was really quite good, more crumb with less creamy lemon would have worked for me. The bad--when it says crumb squares, its more like really crumbly squares which is what they were. You definitely need to serve these chilled so that they solidify with the topping more, but even then, its quite a mess. Completely unrelated, for some reason, I kept tasting a weird diet taste after I ate it, I can't explain it. If you've ever had diet soda, its that same weird lingering aftertaste with these.

The ugly? The mess you get from the crumbles getting all over the place.

Sidenote: When using an entire can of something liquid, it really is a better idea to just open the can rather than putting holes in it and watching the thick liquid very gradually ooze out as years of your life pass away, hair turns grey, dust starts to settle...and we're back.

3.5 stars out of 5. Sorry, Ree!! Good, but had weird diet taste and really bad for you.

___________________________________

Below from here.

• Prep Time 15 Minutes
• Cook Time 25 Minutes
• Difficulty Easy
• Serving Size 12
  

Ingredients

• 1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
• 1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
• 1 cup Oats
• 1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• ½ cups Lemon Juice
• Zest Of 1 Lemon

Preparation Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.

Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.

Serve cool.