Ingredient: angel food cake mix, ONE-STEP type

Lemon bars are a classic ‘retro‘ dessert. The two ingredient lemon bar concept is not meant to replace the ones that everyone loves around the holidays. They are more ‘cake like’ than the originals with a ‘spongy texture’ and do not have a shortbread crust on the bottom. However, these lemon bars are super easy to make and have good flavor. A quick, last minute dessert or great for a summer picnic or backyard barbecue.

From what I understand, the Betty Crocker company published the first known recipe for the original lemon bars in 1963. By the 1970’s, everyone was making them. I’m not sure, but I would suspect the two ingredient lemon bars made with angel food cake mix and lemon pie filling would have been the brain child of Betty Crocker Inc. or possibly the Weight Watcher company.

One box of angel food cake mix, one (or two) cans of pie filling, mix, bake and there you are, just like magic! It seems you can have unlimited alternatives just by using a different pie filling. I found, making these quick little bars with lemon curd gave them a nice tang. The fresh fruit salsa was a good accompaniment.

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Two-Ingredient Lemon Bars with Fruit Salsa

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Rating: 5
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Course

Brunch, dessert

Cuisine

American, German

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Lemon Squares

• 1 box angel food cake mix, ONE-STEP type
• 1-2 cans lemon pie filling OR lemon curd

Fresh Fruit Salsa

• 1 peach or nectarine, peeled & diced
• 1 mango, peeled & diced
• 3 kiwis, peeled & diced
• 454 grams fresh strawberries, hulled & diced
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp strawberry preserve

Course Brunch, dessert Cuisine American, German Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Lemon Squares 1 box angel food cake mix, ONE-STEP type 1-2 cans lemon pie filling OR lemon curd Fresh Fruit Salsa 1 peach or nectarine, peeled & diced 1 mango, peeled & diced 3 kiwis, peeled & diced 454 grams fresh strawberries, hulled & diced 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp strawberry preserve

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Lemon Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 X 13" baking pan with parchment paper, coming up the sides to avoid the cake from overflowing during baking.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix & pie filling, by hand. Angel food cake mix needs to be the just add water kind - but do NOT add water, eggs, oil or any other ingredients except the pie filling! Pour into prepared pan & bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown on top & tests done in the middle.

Fresh Fruit Salsa

1. In a large bowl, toss together peach, mango, kiwi, strawberries, lemon juice & strawberry preserve. Chill & serve with lemon bars.