Lemon Posset with Berries and Grand Marnier

Lemon posset is a deliciously refreshing dessert for summer because it's served chilled, but great at any time of year using whatever berries you can find. You know how I love do-ahead desserts, especially when you're entertaining and have a lot of other things to do!  Lemon posset actually needs to be made at least several hours ahead of time for the cream to fully thicken and set so making it the day before is best.  

Last spring, after my husband and I were fully vaccinated, we traveled to Georgia to visit good friends who were also vaccinated.  One night, they hosted a dinner party and one of the guests brought this dessert.  We loved it so much I asked for the recipe.  Thank you, Debbi!  When we were recently invited to dinner at a friend's home,  I offered to bring dessert and made Debbi's lemon posset.  Everyone loved it and also requested the recipe.  

Posset gets it's name from an old-time English drink dating back to the Middle Ages made by curdling milk with spiced wine or ale.  Thank goodness, it is more commonly known today as a creamy, pudding-like dessert made by boiling cream and sugar and adding lemon juice and zest or other citrus flavors.  That's it!  No temperamental eggs or gelatin, flour or cornstarch needed to thicken it. Many Americans have never encountered posset but it's so delicious and fairly easy to make that I think it will become very popular.  This recipe is based on one by Ina Garten, and we all know her recipes are wonderful!  

This particular recipes uses cream, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and limoncello to make the posset.  If you have a good liquor store near you, you can find small bottles of limoncello which hold at least 3 tablespoons, enough for this recipe.  Our Total Wine had several varieties to choose from.  I was also able to find a very small bottle of Grand Marnier for the berry topping.  The Grand Marnier and sugar-soaked berries are so delicious with each spoonful! 

I made some pecan shortbread cookies to go along with the posset but store bought pirouettes would also be a lovely garnish, although neither is really necessary as this is a satisfying dessert on its own.  

I hope you give it try!  

Lemon Posset with Berries and Grand Marnier

Printable Recipe

The Lemon Posset should be prepared the day before serving in order for the custard to fully set. 

Hands On Preparation Time, 20 minutes

Servings: 6  

Note:  I needed 8 Servings so I increased the recipe, ingredient amounts for 8 in parentheses. I used strawberries and raspberries but any berries would also work well. 

3 cups (4-1/2) heavy cream

1 cup (1-1/2) plus 2 (3) tablespoons sugar

1 (1-1/2) tablespoon lemon zest (2 to 3 lemons)

¼ (1/2) teaspoon kosher salt

⅓ (1/3 c plus 2-2/3 T) cup lemon juice

2 (3) tablespoons limoncello liqueur

1 (1-1/2) cup fresh raspberries, picked over

1 (1-1/2) cup sliced fresh strawberries

3 T Grand Marnier (or limoncello)

Combine the cream, 1 (1-1/2) cup of the sugar, the lemon zest, and salt in a medium saucepan.* Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Lower heat to a vigorous simmer and cook 6 minutes, without stirring.  Watch the mixture carefully. If it begins to boil up toward the edge, take the pan off the heat for a few seconds before continuing to simmer.

Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and limoncello and set aside for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup glass measuring cup, pressing on zest to release as much liquid as possible. Discard zest. Divide mixture evenly among six (or eight) 8- to 10-ounce glasses or bowls.  Allow to cool on the counter and then refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, either overnight or up to 3 days.

Thirty minutes before serving, combine raspberries, strawberries, the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 T Grand Marnier (or limoncello) in a bowl and allow to macerate. To serve, spoon the berries and their juices onto the custards.

*Don't use a saucepan smaller than 6 inches round and 5 inches tall.

Adapted from: English Lemon Posset  - Barefoot Contessa

Vintage Lemon Tart

If you're still struggling with what dessert to have for your Easter brunch or dinner, I have a super easy and delicious recipe for you!  This delicious lemon tart (or pie should you decide to make it in a pie pan) can easily be made a day ahead, which is a must when I'm entertaining.

Last weekend, we were invited to a dinner party and I offered to bring the dessert.  I knew I wanted to make something that tasted like spring and decided it would be lemon.  I consulted my Pinterest Board called "If Life Gives You Lemons" and I went down a vast worm hole of lemon recipes on the internet.

The recipe I decided on was mainly inspired by Tricia's beautiful lemon pie at Saving Room for Dessert.  There are many versions of lemon or Key Lime pies or bars that use sweetened condensed milk, many dating back more than 50 years.  The Eagle Brand website has their original version.  Many of the comments on recipes that I browsed, stated that their grandmother or great-grandmother had made the same recipe.

What won me over about Tricia's recipe was her whipped cream topping that includes cream cheese as a stabilizer.  Another do-ahead bonus! Remember I told you that is originally a very, old recipe?  The old-fashioned way to top the pie was to use the egg whites that are left-over from the pie filling to make a baked meringue topping. If you need to find another use for those egg whites, make an angel food cake, an egg white omelet or these delicious almond crisps from my friend Juliana.  Egg whites can also be frozen for up to a month. 

For the dinner party, I decided to add some finely ground almonds to the graham cracker crust.  In my research, I also saw crusts made from animal crackers and saltine crackers.  I'd love to try both!

I used a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  I had enough ingredients left to make these two individual tarts for my husband to enjoy the next day.  Just as tasty as the first day they were made!

Did you know that condensed milk was first introduced in France in 1820 and in the United States by Gail Bordon in 1856.  Condensed milk is real milk from which all water has been removed during a vacuum process.  It was used to feed soldiers during wars and to feed infants and children when lack of refrigeration lead to death from spoiled milk products.  In the 1930s, The Borden company (which is now Eagle Brand) asked homemakers to create and send in recipes made using sweetened condensed milk and I love that we are still using some of them today.

April weather has been very interesting! We've had highs in the 70s but this is what our back yard looked like on Sunday.

Thankfully, the early spring flowers are very hardy! These photos were taken yesterday, after the snow had melted. On the left, Katharine Hodgkin dwarf iris; in the center white Hellebore, or Lenten rose; and on the right, Chionodoxa or Glory of the Snow.

May you all have a save and happy holiday weekend!

Vintage Lemon Tart

Printable Recipe

Servings: 10 slices

My Notes: I used a 10 inch tart pan and doubled the entire recipe. I had enough cracker crumbs and filling left to make 2 4-inch tarts. You could also use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, which may take slightly longer to bake.

Tip:  Since I was bringing this dessert to someone else's home, I made the whipped topping in the morning and then placed it in a large piping bag with large tip. I like Wilton's large tips. but you will then need to use the large coupler. I sealed the open end of the piping bag with a rubber band, placed it in a zipper bag, and refrigerated it along with the tart.  I was then able to cut and decorate each slice individually when we served it.

Crust:

2-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (2 packages)
1/3 cup ground almonds
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Filling:

2/3 cup sour cream
2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk (I used Eagle Brand)
9 large egg yolks
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, from about 8 large lemons, strain (I prefer to use organic lemons when the zest is also used)
2 tablespoon lemon zest, plus more for garnish

Topping:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Grated lemon zest

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food processor, combine the graham crackers, almonds and sugar. Process for about 15 pulses until finely crushed. Add the melted butter and pulse until just blended.  Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom (or use a pie plate or 9 x 13 baking pan).  Tip: Use the bottom of a 1-cup round measuring cup to help firmly press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 8 minutes and set on a baking rack to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  In a medium bowl (I like to use an 8 cup pyrex mixing bowl with pouring spout), add the sour cream.  With the mixer speed on low, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined. Add the egg yolks, one at a time until each is blended.  Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until blended. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake for about 25 minutes or until the filling is set, but is still somewhat jiggly in the center. Cool completely on a wire rack and then refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to add the topping.

Place the cream cheese into a medium bowl and mix until smooth using an electric mixer. Add the whipping cream slowly and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread over the top of the tart.  Top with fresh berries and sprinkle with additional lemon zest.

Inspired by Easy Lemon Pie from Saving Room for Dessert

Frozen Lemon Pie with Blueberry Sauce

Are you ready for the last holiday of summer? Do you need a dessert for your cook out this weekend? I may have the perfect idea for you.  Able to be made in advance,  it can help to make your holiday entertaining easy.

This dessert was on our Gourmet group menu that I've talked about in my last two posts.  A great finale to a wonderful night and the last of the recipes I'd like to share from our dinner party.

Cool and refreshing, this creamy pie in a graham cracker crust is like almost like eating lemon ice cream.  The lemony, blueberry topping is the perfect garnish, along with a dollop of whipped cream.  

Have a sturdy knife to slice the pie and get ready for lots of compliments!

Oh my gosh, did I say Labor Day?  September is the month when summer seems to slip away so quickly. The days seem to get shorter quickly and the evenings start to get cool here in the Midwest. We pack so much into a few short months that summer goes by in a flash.  Fingers crossed September will be kind to us and hurricanes will be kept off our shores.  My heart goes out to the people of Houston and those areas affected by Harvey.

Frozen Lemon Pie with Blueberry Sauce

Printable Recipe

For the crust (Make first)

1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325°

In a food processor, pulse crackers, sugar and salt until finely crushed and well combined. Add melted butter, and process until thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you can crush the graham crackers in a zipper bag with a rolling pin or meat mallet.

Then, add the other ingredients until well blended.

Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate with baking spray. Press the graham cracker mixture on the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Bake crust 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

For the filling:

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Lemon zest from one large lemon (about a tablespoon)

Lemon Juice from 2-3 lemons (about 1/2 cup)

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325°.

Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until yolks become pale and create ribbons on the surface when the beater is lifted. Slowly whisk in sweetened condensed milk mixture until thoroughly combined.

Then add buttermilk and whisk until combined. Pour the mixture into baked and cooled crust.

Bake pie at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes, until set around edges. The pie will still be slightly jiggly. Cool pie on a wire rack for 1 hour.

Lightly spray a large piece of plastic wrap and cover pie. Freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

Keeps well in freezer for several days.

 

For the Blueberry Topping:

(Makes about 1-1/2 cups)

2 cups fresh blueberries, divided

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Zest from one large organic lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring 1 cup blueberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes, or until mixture has thickened and berries begin to break down.

Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1 cup blueberries. Cool completely; cover and chill until ready to use.

When ready to serve, remove pie from freezer. Using a large knife dipped in warm water, cut pie into slices and serve with sweetened whipped cream and blueberry sauce.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living Magazine.

Lemon Tart with Pine Nut Crust

My favorite desserts are chocolate and lemon.  Usually chocolate takes precedence, unless it's a REALLY good, REALLY lemon-y dessert.  Let me tell you, this one ranks in the top five all-time lemon desserts I've ever made and it could possibly be number one! 

The silky, lemon sabayon filling is wonderful and the sweet pine nut crust is a unique and delicious compliment to the tartness of the lemon.  Perfection, I tell you! The pine nut crust can even be made a day in advance and the lemon sabayon the morning you'd like to serve this dessert.  

The most time-consuming part of making this dessert is making the sabayon.  If you have a little patience and 15 minutes to devote to stirring,  it is well worth the effort.  The sabayon is slightly caramelized under the broiler after filling the tart, similar to a crème brûlée .  You can top it with whipped cream or plain raspberries, as I did. 

I don't often make dessert for my husband and myself.  But when we're invited to a dinner party I enjoy offering to bring dessert and try to make a little extra for us. The bonus mini tarts were refrigerated and enjoyed the next day ;)

If you know someone who is a lemon lover you need to make this for them.  It will knock their Christmas Stockings off :)

Christmas baking has just begun here.  I bought myself an early Christmas baking gadget a month ago and purchased this adorable Nordic Ware Gingerbread House pan.  

I also received a beautiful copper Christmas tree cookie cutter recently as a gift so made a few of my favorite gingerbread cut-outs and decorated them with royal icing. The moose in the background was a gift my my daughter that she purchased in Jackson Hole, WY on a ski trip. You can find my very own gingerbread recipe here and royal icing recipes here.  It's a little milder than most and goes over well, even with my grandsons who helped me decorate my first gingerbread cakes from my new cakelet pan :)  Not too bad for 3 and 6-year-old boys ♥.

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Lemon Tart with Pine Nut Crust

Printable Recipe Makes 8-10 servings Make the Pine Nut Crust first... Ingredients for the Lemon Sabayon: 3 large eggs, cold 3 large egg yolks, cold 1-1/8 cups sugar 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons) 9 tablespoons (4-1/2 ounces) cold butter, cut into 6 pieces Ingredients for the Pine Nut Crust: This is 1/2 the original recipe and makes enough dough for one 9-10 inch tart pan plus another 6 inch or two mini 4 inch tart pans. Butter and flour for the tart pan 1 cup pine nuts (5 oz) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 8 T (4 ounces) unsalted butter (I used salted), room temperature 1/2 large egg (I break an egg into a small bowl, whisk briefly to combine white and yolk and measure out 1/8 cup, which equals 1/2 egg) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract To make the pine nut crust: Place the pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the sugar and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients (the dough can be mixed by hand or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Dough can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 1 month.) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats. I used a non-stick tart pan so skipped this step. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. Don't worry about small cracks. May be made 1 day ahead. To make the lemon sabayon: When ready to start the lemon sabayon, have the lemon juice and butter ready by the side of the stove. Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. You don't want the bowl to touch the boiling water beneath. I used a double boiler. Meanwhile, in the bowl you will be using over the boiling water, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 10 to 15 minutes, possibly less, depending on your stove. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold. Adapted from Epicurious, Courtesy of Bouchon Cookbook

Lemon Capri Torte

Simply put ~ I love lemon! But, shhhh, don't tell chocolate. 

Secondly, I'm a recipe-aholic.  I have a 588 megabytes of dessert recipes alone saved on my computer. My entire recipe folder contains over 2-1/2 gigabytes of recipes.  I will never make most of them.  But when the recipe has the word 'lemon' in it somehow it manages to surface...at some point.

At the end of summer we entertained some good friends for dinner.  The husband happens to be even more of a lemon-lover than I am, so I decided to try this Sophie Dahl recipe that had been lost in megabytes for over a year.  The verdict - Delicious! Of all the lemon tarts I've made over the years, my friend said he liked this lemon dessert the best because of the moist and dense cake texture.

Gluten free if you use the potato flour!

I served it with a dollop of lemon curd just to add to the lemon-y goodness.  You can find an easy recipe for homemade lemon curd made in the microwave here.

Once again, it's the end of the month and time to join Al Dente Gourmet's photography challenge for our Oh Happy Plates Group on Pinterest.  This month the challenge was citrus.  How perfect. 

Lemon Capri Torte

Adapted from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl
Printable Recipe

Sophie Dahl:  I got this recipe from a taxi driver in Sorrento who was big on cooking. He said his wife and daughters begged him not to cook because he left the kitchen in such a mess!

Serves 6

1-1/2 sticks of butter, plus extra for greasing
1 cup fine (bakers) sugar
6 eggs, separated
Zest and juice of four lemons
2 cups blanched almonds, toasted then ground to as fine a consistency as possible in food processor
1 cup potato flour (or substitute plain flour), plus more for dusting the pan

Preheat oven to 400°F

Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake tin or pan (preferably spring form).

Cream the sugar and butter together with a mixer until smooth.

Add the egg yolks, then lemon zest and juice and mix together.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks then add to the egg yolk mixture.

Fold in ground almonds and flour.

Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Turn oven 300°F and bake for another 40 minutes.

Remove, cool and invert onto a platter.

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust

This is a recipe that I posted early in 2009 but is so good that it deserves a second post.

I've made this recipe a number of times and highly recommend it!  The lemon curd is amazingly creamy and so delicious! This is a tart that will satisfy both the lemon and chocolate lovers out there (I am both).  I added some lemon zest to the recipe for an extra lemon boost. Everyone LOVES it! 

The crust is like eating chocolate sable cookies.  In fact, I had some crust left over that I rolled into a log, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, sliced and baked into cookies!

Shop 8 and 9 inch tart/quiche pans like mine HERE.  (Affiliate Link) 

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust

Adapted from Food and Wine
Printable Recipe

I used a tart pan which measures 7 inches across the bottom, 8 inches across the top with 1-1/2 inch sides. If your tart pan only has 1" sides, I suggest using a 9 inch tart pan.  

This lemon tart satisfies both the lemon lovers and chocolate lovers!

Makes 1 tart and serves 5-6

CHOCOLATE PASTRY

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons of almond flour*
1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2  large egg (whisk together and measure 2 tablespoons)

LEMON CURD

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, cocoa and salt; pulse to blend. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg; process until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic, flatten into a disk and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 7-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to a 14-inch round 1/4 inch thick. Fit the pastry into the tart pan, patting in with your fingers to level it. Run a rolling pin across the rim of the pan to cut off any overhanging dough. Tears may be patched with scraps. Line the pastry with a piece of foil cut to fit the bottom and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is nearly dry. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake the crust for 15 minutes longer, or until firm. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the whole egg and the remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour half of the hot lemon syrup slowly into the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Add the combined mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the lemon-sugar mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil, about 9 minutes; it should be the consistency of sour cream. If the curd has any lumps you can strain the curd through the sieve.

Preheat the oven to 300 while the lemon curd cools to room temperature, then whisk in the softened butter until the curd is light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.

Pour the curd into the crust and bake for 20 minutes, or until set. Cool tart on a wire rack, then refrigerate until chilled. Unmold the tart and garnish it with chocolate shavings.

The baked tart can be refrigerated overnight.

*Almond flour is available at specialty markets. Or, finely grind 3/4 cup (3 ounces) of blanched almonds which is what I did.

My Note: I have reduced the original crust recipe by half since the original called for an 11" tart pan. However, the lemon curd proportions remains the same and it fills a 7-inch bottom tart pan with 1-1/2 inch sides perfectly.  If your tart pan has 1-inch sides, I suggest moving up to a 9" tart pan.

If you have left-over crust, roll it into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Cut into slices, place on a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes at 375.  Yum!

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie in a Toasted Pecan Crust~

This is the perfect finish to dinner on a very warm, summer evening! I am in love with anything lemon but the other part of this dessert that is absolutely delicious is the toasted pecan crust. What a wonderful combination!  The meringue topping is, well, the frosting on the cake, so to speak :)

If you are in need of an easy, impressive and irresistibly delicious summer dessert, look no further!

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie in a Toasted Pecan Crust

Adapted from Bon Appetit, April, 2007
Printable Recipe

Lemon Curd
2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 3/4 sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

Note: I used the above recipe for lemon curd but see this recipe for Microwave Lemon Curd as an alternative!  It's been tried by me and is great!

Crust
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, divided

Meringue
4 large egg whites, room temperature (I used pasteurized eggs)
Pinch of cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar

For lemon curd:

Whisk together zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter all at once and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour curd through a fine sieve into a bowl, then chill, covered.

For crust:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix pecans, sugar, and butter in medium bowl until moistened. Press pecan mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish (mixture will be crumbly). Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 12 minutes (crust will slip down sides of dish). Use back of spoon to press crust back into place. Cool crust on rack. Freeze crust 30 minutes.

Dollop 1-1/2 cups ice cream over crust; spread into even layer. Spread lemon curd over ice cream; freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Dollop 1 1/2 cups softened ice cream over lemon curd; spread into even layer. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

For meringue:

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar. With mixer running, gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue over pie, spreading to seal at edges and swirling decoratively. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Freeze pie. Using kitchen butane torch, toast meringue until golden in spots or place pie in a preheated 500°F oven until meringue is golden in spots, watching to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Cut pie into wedges; serve immediately.

Very Creamy Lemon Cream Tart ~ Last of the Gourmet Night Recipes

I'd like to share one last recipe from our Gourmet Group dinner that my husband and I hosted on July 4. This was the dessert and finale of our event. If a recipe has chocolate or lemon in the title, my attention is immediately focused on it! I chose to assign Dorie Greenspan's Most Extraordinary Lemon Cream Tart from Baking, From My Home to Yours to one of the couples in our group.

I had not pre-tested the recipe myself, but knew that if it came from Dorie by way of Pierre Hermé it had to be delicious - just like their wonderful World Peace cookies.

The tart was delicious and oh-so creamy! The shortbread crust was light and flaky and the perfect foil for the lemon cream. Piled with whatever seasonal fresh fruit is in season and you have a mouth-watering dessert.

Since there are 10 in our gourmet group and the recipe only serves 8, I requested to the couple to whom I assigned the recipe that they bring two - knowing it was likely to be very popular with our group.

Unfortunately, the person who made the recipe decided to double the recipe and make both at one time - big mistake! Not only was it too difficult to handle on the stove-top making the lemon cream, but pureeing the whole batch at once was a total disaster and it exploded out of the food processor all over the kitchen. Take note!

Thankfully, my friends did not hate me for assigning the recipe but after having to zest and squeeze 8 lemons and using and throwing out 8 eggs just to start over again, I will be sure not to assign dessert to them next time we host!

The Recipe~

Very Creamy Lemon Cream Tart
Adapted from "Most Extraordinary Lemon Cream Tart" by Dorie Greenspan from her book Baking from My Home to Yours
Printable Recipe

1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 lemons, finely grated
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 to 5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, at room temperature
1 fully-baked 9-inch tart shell (recipe to follow)
Fresh fruit for Garnish

Special Equipment: A candy thermometer or instant read thermometer
Have a strainer placed over a blender or food processor
*See note below

Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan into which a heat-proof bowl can be fitted without touching the water.

In the bowl that will later be used to place over the simmering water, work the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs followed by the lemon juice.

Fit the bowl into the pan (make certain the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl) and cook, stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels lukewarm to the touch. You want to cook the cream until it reaches 180°F. You must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. You will see the cream start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and as the cream is gets close to 180°F, it will start to thicken and you will see tracks from the whisk. Important — the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don’t stop whisking and keep checking the temperature. Depending on how the temperature of your stove, getting to the proper temperature can take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as the cream reaches 180°F, pull it from the heat and strain it into the container of a blender or food processor and discard the zest. Let the cream rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140°F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high and, while the machine is running, add about 5 pieces of butter at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container several times with each addition of butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine running to get a perfect light, airy texture or about another 3 minutes. If your machine overheats, you can work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a rest.

Pour the cream into a container and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal. Chill the cream for at least 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to construct the tart, whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell.

The tart should be served cold.

Advance preparation: The lemon cream will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days, however, once the tart is constructed, it’s best to eat it that day.

*Note: Do not double recipe – prepare separately if you need two tarts.


Sweet Tart Dough

Makes enough for one 9-inch crust

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup finely ground pecans or pistachios
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Note: It is best to press this dough into the pan rather than rolling it out first.

Put the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in—you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. In a small bowl, stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, to the food processor, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses—about 10 seconds each—until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change. At this point, turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that didn't get mixed in.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Don't be too heavy-handed—press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Make sure to keep a close eye on the crust's progress—it can go from golden to way too dark quickly. Transfer the tart pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling. If there are any cracks in the baked crust, patch them with some of the reserved raw dough as soon as you remove the foil. Slice off a thin piece of the dough, place it over the crack, moisten the edges and very gently smooth the edges into the baked crust and bake for another 2 minutes or so, just to take the rawness off the patch.

Advance Preparation: Dough can be kept in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for up to 5 days.

I'm sharing this Lemon Tart with all my friends at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday this week.  Have a peek at all of the wonderful treats that will be shared.

And, since this recipe is a flashback of our Gourmet dinner, I'm also linking to Flashback Friday at Kitchen Bouquet!

 

Lavender-Lemon Pound Cakes and Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing all of my blogging friends and readers a very Happy Valentine's Day and weekend! Thank you all for your friendship and kindness and I wish you all the very best in return!


This recipe for Lavender Pound Cakes was first shared by my friend, Mimi at In The Middle of Nowhere a couple of years ago on another cooking forum. They are delicious and I hope you try them! Topped with a strawberry 'heart' they are a delicious treat for Valentine's Day.  Even better if you have the silicone heart molds :)

Lavender-Lemon Pound Cakes with Lemon Glaze
Recipe Courtesy of Monica Glass, Pastry Chef
Printable Recipe

12 miniature cake molds or cupcake molds

For the cake:

2½ cups sifted all-purpose flour*
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dried lavender, coarsely crushed or ground
¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature

For the sugar glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Generously grease two 6-cup mini Bundt pans or muffin cups with butter or non-stick cooking spray and dust lightly with flour, knocking out excess. Do not preheat oven.

Sprinkle the lavender into the buttermilk and let sit for 10 minutes. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating only until incorporated after each addition. Mix in the zest, lemon juice and vanilla.

Mix in the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Beat the final addition only until smooth. Do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into each cup, filling it only ¾ full and distributing it evenly between the 12 Bundt or muffin cups. Tap each pan several times on the counter to eliminate air bubbles and level the tops. Place both pans in the cold oven and turn the oven to 325? F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops (which will eventually become the cake bottoms) are risen and golden. Do not open the oven until at least 30 minutes into baking so your cakes will not fall.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 30 minutes, then run a thin knife around outer edge of each cake to loosen and unmold by inverting the pan over onto a wire rack. The cakes will be right-side-up at this point.

Prepare the glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until the glaze is smooth and of drizzling consistency. Spoon the glaze over the top of each slightly cooled cake, letting some run down unevenly on the sides. Zest the lemon over the tops of the glaze and serve.

Wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil, the cakes will keep for 3-5 days at room temperature and for up to 3 months in the freezer.

*Sift the flour, then measure for accurate results.

Very Lemony Tart

This past week, a very good friend had back surgery. Not fun! To cheer him, I made his favorite dessert - lemon tart.

I've had this recipe for years. Do any of you remember Gail's Recipe Swap on the internet waaaay back in the 90's? That's where I found this recipe and sadly, it was before I was conscientious about also including the poster's name, so I have no idea who submitted this wonderful recipe. If you're still out there and care to identify yourself, please do! I will forever be indebted to you for this wonderful recipe!

This tart is as advertised - very lemony, which I love. It has the grated zest of 5 lemons!

Another wonderful thing about this recipe is the crust. It is baked first with chopped almonds sprinkled on top for a delightful crunch.

I hope it made my friend feel a little better :)

VERY LEMON-Y TART
Printable Recipe

CRUST:

1-1/8 cup flour
1/4 lb. butter
2 tablespoons water
2-1/4 teaspoons finely chopped almonds

FILLING

5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 5 lemons

Preheat oven to 375F. Using flour, butter and water, make crust in usual way. Roll out to fit tart pan with removable bottom. Prick all over with fork. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Line with foil and add pie weights (or dried beans). Bake 20 minutes or until crust is dry.

In medium bowl, beat sugar and eggs together for 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Add butter, cream, juice, and zest. Mix together and pour into crust. Bake 20-25 minutes or until set.

You may also find a few more lemon desserts on my blog such as...from left to right Lemon Snow Balls, Lemon Sables, and Lemon-Cream Cake. :)

Sablés au Citron ~ A Lemon Treat!

My husband and I rarely eat dessert unless it's a special occasion or we have guests for dinner. However, a very good friend emailed this recipe to me last week and I needed a treat to bring to a luncheon so I couldn't resist trying these. My friend and her husband used to be in our gourmet group until they retired and moved south just a couple of years ago. She and I love to share recipes that we have found, tried and enjoyed.

This recipe is called Sables du Citron from Chocolate and Zucchini by Cloutilde Dusoulier. They are salty, lemon-y and perfect.

Sablés au Citron
Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini by Cloutilde Dusoulier
Printable Recipe

I did not use the lemon glaze when I made these cookies. For me, they were just right without it.

1 lemon (organic, if you can find it), zested, reserve the juice for the glaze (you'll need 3 tbs lemon juice)*
1 cup + 2 tbs all-purpose flour (I subsituted 1/4 cup of the flour for rice flour)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp fleur de sel, or kosher salt
7 tbs (3½ oz) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg yolk

1 cup confectioner's sugar

Add the first 4 ingredients to a large bowl and lightly combine. Add the cold, diced butter and combine with your fingers until blended with the dry ingredients, or use a pastry cutter. Add the egg yolk and stir with fork until combined and the dough comes together. You can add a little water if the dough is too dry or add flour if it is too wet.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log approximately 1-2" thick. Wrap each log with plastic and freeze for 30 minutes. You can freeze the dough up to a month at this point.

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove one log from the freezer and slice into ¼" slices. To keep the rounded shape, keep rotating the log after each slice. I found the logs cut better after it thawed for just a bit. Place the slices on the parchment-lined baking sheet and leave 1/2" between the slices. Repeat with the second log.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. If your slices are bigger they may take longer to bake. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Glaze:

Add the 3 tablespoon lemon juice and confectioner's sugar to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Brush each cookie with the glaze, let stand until the glaze is set, about an hour. You can store the cookies up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container.

Lemon Cream Cake

Today is my daughter's birthday and we celebrated with a dinner party for her last night. Her menu requests haven't changed much in the last few years and she always asks for the same birthday cake. Tradition is a good thing :) I hope you are not adverse to using a boxed cake mix because that is what is called for here. I try to look for a brand that contains as many 'natural' ingredients as possible.

This recipe is baked in a tube or fluted bundt pan and I like to stick a tiny vase in the center and add some spring color. It would be pretty with daisies too!

The lemon zest and lemon juice give it light and refreshing taste.

It's a perfect cake for a spring celebration :)




Lemon-Cream Dessert Cake
Printable Recipe

Makes 12 servings

Cake Ingredients

• 1 package (2-layer-size) regular lemon cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Creamy Lemon Frosting Ingredients (see recipe below)

• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 8-oz package cream cheese (I use "light"), softened
• 8-oz package frozen, whipped dessert topping (I use "light"), thawed. I would think real whipping cream whipped into stiff peaks would also work fine.
• 3.4 oz package instant lemon pudding
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon zest

Directions:

1. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, cooking oil, and egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat the mixture for 2 minutes on high speed. Stir in the lemon peel. Reserve 2 cups of the batter.

2. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 2 minutes. Add reserved batter and lemon juice; beat until mixture is combined.

3. Layer batters alternately in prepared pan, beginning and ending with yolkless batter. Swirl lightly to marble. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

4. To assemble cake, cut cake horizontally into three layers. Spread Creamy Lemon Frosting between layers. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting.

Creamy Lemon Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1 softened 8-ounce package cream cheese until smooth. Fold in 1 thawed 8-ounce container of frozen whipped dessert topping. In a small bowl, beat 1 package (4-serving -size) instant lemon pudding mix and 1 cup milk for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on low speed; stir in 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel. Fold the pudding into the cream cheese mixture.