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When Life Gives You Lemons-Make Triple Citrus Bars!

  • Writer: Suzanne Clark
    Suzanne Clark
  • Aug 19, 2015
  • 2 min read

I remember spending much of my summers in Michigan deciding what to do with the great abundance of zucchini we would get from our garden. This vegetable would be cleverly added to every recipe. Chili sauces, pasta sauce and yes, zucchini bread became a staple in our house.

Here in Arizona where I now live, we have an abundance of citrus. We literally have bushels of oranges, limes and lemons we harvest from our trees every year. Citrus is the new “zucchini!” Yes, I still do the same thing. I put citrus in almost every recipe I make. I make lemon sauces, fresh squeezed orange juice, and especially Triple Citrus Bars.

I decided to embrace the vast amount of citrus we grow and use them in one dessert. Limes, lemons and oranges are all stars in these sweet and tart dessert bars. For the crust, I decided to try something new this time. I used Challenge Dairy’s new Lactose-free Spreadable Butter to create the shortbread crust. Challenge Dairy is the first to introduce a lactose-free butter to the market making it possible for people everywhere to enjoy butter. It has the same delicious taste and is made with high quality ingredients, just like their traditional butter. I thought I would give it a try, and my family loved the rich, buttery taste it gave my bars.

Today, zucchini bread has been replaced with Triple Citrus Bars and Lactose-free butter has replaced my traditional butter in some of my recipes. What has not changed is the challenge of what to do with the large amounts of home grown fruits and vegetables, and the love that goes into creating new recipes for my family to enjoy!


 
 

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups of Member's Mark Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter (used throughout)

  • 3 cups of Member's Mark Buttermilk Pancake Mix

  • 2 cups of Member's Mark Vitamin D Whole Milk

  • 2 Member's Mark Pasture Raised Grade A Large Brown Eggs

  • 5 teaspoons of Magnolia-Star Pure Vanilla Extract (used throughout)

  • 2 cups of Driscoll's Sweetest Batch Blueberries

  • 1 cup of Member's Mark Organic 100% Pure Maple Syrup

  • Member's Mark Original Dairy Whipped Topping

  • 1 cup of Member's Mark Honey Almond Granola

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Place ¼ cup (½ of a stick) of butter on a 13”x 8” sheet pan. Place it in the oven to melt the butter while making the batter.

  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the pancake mix, eggs, milk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir until combined. Note: Batter will still be lumpy, let it sit for 3-4 minutes before baking.

  4. Pour batter onto the sheet pan with the melted butter. Use a spatula to spread batter, creating an even surface. Sprinkle berries on top.

  5. Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on top and cooked through.

  6. Let cool slightly, then cut into 12 squares.

  7. While the pancakes are baking, create your syrup. Place 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring continuously. Continue cooking the butter once melted, until the butter begins to brown and smells fragrant. Remove from heat (butter will continue to brown)

  8. Stir 3 teaspoons of vanilla and the maple syrup into the butter, and stir until combined.

  9. To serve, place a pancake on a plate. Top with syrup and a sprinkle of granola on top.

 

Yield: 12 pancakes/2 cups of syrup

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