Sauteed Shrimp With Lemon-garlic Butter

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1/2 cup dry white wine such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Boil wine, vinegar and garlic in a small saucepan until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in butter, one piece at a time, allowing butter to melt before adding more. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and saute until shrimp are opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plates. Drizzle lemon-garlic butter over the top. Sprinkle with lemon peel and chives before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine.

Lemon Curd

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1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

Pinch of salt

6 large egg yolks

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt. Then whisk in the egg yolks until smooth. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens and leaves a path on the back of a wooden spoon when a finger is drawn across it. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.

Immediately pour the curd through a strainer into a bowl. Let cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Source: “Luscious Lemon Desserts” by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, $19).

Lemon Bars

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1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided use

1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided use, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons finely grated, fresh lemon peel

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

Whisk together 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar, the grated lemon peel and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Knead the dough in the bowl until it begins to stick together. Transfer the dough to the baking pan and press it evenly into the bottom. Bake on a rack in the center of the oven for 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling.

Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and the baking powder in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes, or until tripled in volume. Reduce the speed to low, add the sugar mixture and beat just until blended, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and beat just until blended.

Pour the lemon mixture over the warm crust and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the filling is just set in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Just before serving, lightly sift confectioners’ sugar over the cookies and cut into 2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container. Makes 16 bars.

Source: “Luscious Lemon Desserts” by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, $19).