Lemonade Poppyseed Icebox Bars

The passing of the great actor Paul Newman makes me sad. I loved his movies, I loved his voice and I loved his steely blue eyes.

Newman food products have long been a favorite in our house. When my kids were little they would get so excited to grab the Newman's Own salad dressing bottles to toss in the supermarket cart because they thought the picture on it was Daddy. No, my husband was not 73 at the time-and he's not even close to 73 now, but with his hair 10 years ago getting that salt and pepper look there may have been a slight resemblance. (Although truth be told my kids at the time also thought the Sun Maid Raisin lady was mommy-maybe they just needed glasses).

Well what's not to love about great tasting food products where the profits go to charity? That has always been an incentive for me when it came to selecting my salad dressing, tomato sauces or lemonades. Today I made a little tribute treat to Paul Newman...lemon poppyseed bars using Newman's Own Lemonade. You can substitute real lemons and add a little lemon zest if you prefer, but I thought the lemonade worked just great...and it's for charity.

Lemonade Poppyseed Icebox Bars

1 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Newman's Own Lemonade

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Creamy Lemonade Frosting:

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons Newman's Own Lemonade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large mix bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking, salt lemonade, butter and eggs; beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the center springs back slightly when pressed. Allow to completely cool on a rack before frosting.

To prepare the frosting, using an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese, sugar and lemonade until light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cake; chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cutting into bars.

Yield: 24 bars