Showing mom just how much you love her is never easy, and just giving her a gift might not feel like you’re doing enough for her, right? She raised you, after all. Well, how about preparing a nice, rich dessert for her? Yes, the kitchen might just be the stuff of nightmares for some people, but these recipes are so easy that they’ve become our favorite Mother’s Day treats to make and their results so finger-licking good that you’ll have mom asking for your secret after she’s done. Guaranteed! We’ve included baked dessert and an oven-free alternative for those who don’t like dealing with heat.
Zesty Lemon Bars
Celebrate mom’s warmth and love with a very spring-like dessert, lemon bars. These are tart, rich, and tangy treats that can be easily done with 5 ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, given the season.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of softened butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 2 large lemons
Preheat your oven to 350° F while you prep the ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups of flour and ½ cup of sugar (save the rest), and blend with the softened butter. Press the mix into an ungreased 9×13 inch pan or mold. Throw in the oven for about 20 minutes or until firm and golden (if it’s smells good already, it’s done).
While that’s in the oven, whisk in another bowl the remaining sugar and flour with the eggs and lemon juice. Make sure the ingredients are well incorporated but don’t whisk too hard, or the eggs will stiffen and rise. When the crust is ready, pull it out without turning off the oven and pour your egg and lemon mixture over it. Throwback in the oven for another 20 minutes, then take out again and let them cool, so they firm up. Turn the oven off. You’re done!
You can cut it up in large rectangles or smaller squared, depending on how you want to serve it. You can even do another tray and add some food coloring to it, so you have a more festive-looking bar. Enjoy!
Lemon Mascarpone Parfaits
Want to show mom you care with a delicious treat but don’t want to go anywhere near an oven? This parfait is one of our favorite no-bake Mother’s Day treats because it just needs to be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve them, and they’re worth every second. Mom will love them!
Ingredients:
- 16 ladyfinger cookies
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1 pint melted lemon sorbet
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup jar lemon curd
- 4 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 1 cup raspberries
Start by arranging 8 ladyfinger cookies in the bottom of 8 short 10-oz glasses (any similar measure will do), breaking the cookies as necessary to fit. Evenly drizzle half your pint of melted sorbet over them and let them sit for 8 to 10 minutes so they absorb all the liquid. Once they’re soaked, whisk in a large bowl the mascarpone, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla; it’s better to use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on low speed, then increase it to medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form.
In another bowl, whisk your lemon curd and 2 tsp of lemon zest until thickened (the mix should be a light, mostly uniform color). Pour ⅓ of your mascarpone mixture in and fold until well blended, then do the same for the rest of the mascarpone mix. Use a spoon to add some of this final cream mixture over your ladyfingers, put in some raspberries, more cream, then top with the remaining ladyfingers. Make sure all the cookies are well-soaked and softened.
Keep adding layers until you run out of cream, then refrigerate until they’re ready to serve. Right before serving, top with additional raspberries and your remaining lemon zest. Enjoy!
It’s not easy to tell mom how much she means to you, right? But we’re sure that these delicious, sweet desserts will help you express that. And if you need the extra time to practice the recipes, or just want to add something extra to her Mother’s Day, how about scheduling a full clean of her home? Nothing like the gift of doing nothing while eating a nice, lemony dessert while others deal with your chores!
