Lemony Desserts

My mom always loved the taste of lemony desserts, whether it was a lemon-filled donut, a lemon meringue pie...it didn't matter what. In fact, whenever I'd pick up a dozen donuts from Dunkin' Donuts, my brother, sister, and I all knew to save the one lemon-filled donut for Mom.

Mom - With Dad (in NY state), 2nd photo in Connecticut





In honor of Mom, here are six yummy lemony desserts that I'm sure she would have loved, including Lemon Meringue Cookies and Baked Lemon Pudding. Enjoy!

LEMON CHEESECAKE TART

This is from Yossy Arefi in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Yossy wrote, "With a simple, pat-in-the-pan crust and a thin layer of light, lemon-scented cream cheese, this cheesecake tart is a lot easier to make than you might imagine. The base can be baked right away, with no chilling required, and the custardy filling relies upon little more than tangy cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, sugar and eggs. It’s the perfect dessert for a winter or early spring gathering, when there might not be much fresh fruit around but you’re in the mood for a bright dessert."

Time: 1-1/4 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 1 (9-inch) tart

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023858-lemon-cheesecake-tart.

Ingredients

For the Crust

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, plus more for greasing the pan

1 egg yolk

For the Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice

Pinch fine salt

2 large eggs

Preparation

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Make the crust: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the cubed butter on top, then pulse until the butter is almost completely incorporated and the mixture is sandy. Add the egg yolk and pulse until incorporated. The dough should hold together easily. If not, pulse in up to 3 teaspoons of cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a large bowl, using your fingers or a pastry blender to mix the butter into the flour.

Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press the dough mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a lightly floured straight-sided measuring cup to help press the dough into the corners of the pan. (If you need to trim extra dough to make it level with the edge of the pan, reserve it to repair any cracks after the shell has baked.)

Line the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to tuck it into the corners and over the edges. Set the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake the shell for 25 to 30 minutes or until the dough appears dry and lightly golden. If the dough puffs up while baking, gently press it back into the pan with an offset spatula or similar tool. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. If necessary, repair any cracks with the remaining raw dough before filling.

While the shell cools slightly, make the filling: Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, if needed. Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times then stir a few times with a rubber spatula to release any large air bubbles.

Pour the mixture into the warm crust, smooth the top and carefully transfer the pan, still on the baking sheet, into the oven. Bake until just set around the edges and slightly wiggly in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the tart cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Remove the outer ring and slice with a warm knife, wiping the knife with a towel in between cuts for the tidiest slices. Serve cold or at room temperature. This keeps well in the fridge, covered for a few days.

LEMON MERINGUE COOKIES

This is from Dorie Greenspan at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Dorie wrote, "Like their inspiration, lemon meringue pie, these cookies have three elements. They’re built on simple, slice-and-bake French shortbread cookies, rich, buttery and flavored with vanilla. The shortbread base is almost classic, except that the cookies are baked in muffin tins, so they’re straight-sided and deeply golden brown. The 'filling' is lemon curd, and the topping is crunchy bits of meringue. You get crumbly, velvety and crackly, sweet and tart in every bite. These cookies were created for an imaginary friend, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the hero of 16 Louise Penny novels, and a man who considers lemon meringue divine."

Yield: 24 cookies; Time: 2 hours

This was featured in "A Lemon Meringue Cookie Good Enough to Be Imaginary", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021686-lemon-meringue-cookies.

Note: If you didn't click on the link to the featured article that this cookie recipe came from (or if you did, but didn't read the article), you really should read it. Dorie Greenspan's article is well worth the read; heck, it's worth several reads. Maybe make up a batch of these, then sit back to enjoy both cookies and the article. (Thanks for both, Dorie!)

Ingredients

For the Meringue:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon distilled vinegar (or lemon juice)

Pinch of fine sea salt

For the Shortbread:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into chunks and brought to room temperature, plus more for greasing the muffin tin

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

About 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade lemon curd

Preparation

Make the meringue: Heat oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together both sugars.

Working with an electric mixer, beat the egg white, vinegar and salt on medium-high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Once the sugar is incorporated, beat 2 minutes more; you’ll have stiff, glossy, white peaks. Put the meringue on the baking sheet and spread it 1/4-inch thick. (It will cover only a small part of the sheet.)

Bake the meringue undisturbed for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, prop open the oven door and let it dry for 1 hour. When you’re ready to use it, chop it into pieces about the size of chocolate chips. Precision doesn’t matter.

Make the shortbread: Working with a mixer (use the paddle if it’s a stand mixer), beat the butter, both sugars and the salt on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until smooth but not fluffy. On low speed, beat in the yolks, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add the flour in three additions, mixing on low until the dough comes together in large clumps. Turn out the dough and knead it into a ball. Cut the ball in half.

Shape each half into a 6-inch log. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (You could also freeze it for up to 2 months; leave it on the counter for 1 hour before baking.)

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 1 or 2 muffin tins with butter (or nonstick baking spray).

Slice each log into 12 rounds (each 1/2-inch thick); drop one into each muffin cup. (If you don’t have enough tins, you can work in batches.)

Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the rims. Transfer the tin(s) to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then lift the cookies out and onto racks; cool to room temperature.

Just before serving, top each cookie with lemon curd, then top with ample chunks of meringue, pressing them into the curd. The meringue will keep in a cool, dry place for a few days, and the cookies can be kept at room temperature for about 3 days. But once you top the cookies, they’re best eaten soon after.

ITALIAN LEMON COOKIES

Recipe Yield: Yield: 27 Servings; Serving Size: 2 cookies

Source: Splenda

Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.

You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/italian-lemon-cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup light butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup egg substitute

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and set aside.

Blend together butter, Splenda Granulated Sweetener, and vanilla in a medium sized mixing bowl until butter is softened. Add egg substitute, lemon juice and zest. Mix briefly. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and nutmeg. Mix using a hand mixer on low speed (or by hand) until dough is formed. Do not over mix.

Remove dough from bowl and divide in half. Roll each half into a log approx. 1 inch thick in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1-2 hours, allowing dough to chill and become firm.

Remove dough from freezer, unwrap and cut into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F oven 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes:

These delicate lemon cookies have excellent flavor and an interesting texture. They are perfect for adding variety to a cookie tray.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 55 mg; Cholesterol: 30 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Sugars: 7 g

GINGER-LEMON-BLUEBERRY PIE

This is from Pillsbury, and begins, "Directions for this luscious pie specify cooling two hours before slicing, which gives the filling time to firm up a little for neater cutting. If you absolutely can't wait, serve the pie in shallow soup bowls and be ready with a large spoon to ladle up every last bit of the filling!"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Crust

1 box (14.1 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Pie Crusts (2 Count), softened as directed on box

6 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon half-and-half

Filling

5 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Remove 1 pie crust from pouch; place flat on work surface. Sprinkle top of crust with 1-1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. With rolling pin, roll crust lightly to coat with sugar. Continue to make pie crust, sugared side up, as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

In large bowl, mix filling ingredients. Spoon into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Brush top crust with half-and-half; sprinkle with remaining 4-1/2 teaspoons sugar.

Place foil or cookie sheet on oven rack below middle rack to catch any spills. Place pie on middle oven rack; bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Cool at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm or cold.

BAKED LEMON PUDDING

This is from JR Ryall and adapted by David Tanis in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, David wrote, "My repertoire of sweet lemon recipes is limited, but, as it happened, my friend, the Irish pastry chef JR Ryall, was in town, with his new cookbook “Ballymaloe Desserts,” for which I wrote the foreword. It contains a recipe for a homey hot lemon pudding. It's not a soufflé, but it has a light, airy feel. And, as it bakes, it separates into distinct layers, custardy on the bottom and spongy on top."

Time: About 1 hour; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This was featured in "Spring Comes Early With This Bright, Cozy Dinner", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023966-baked-lemon-pudding.

Note: Please read the article; you won't regret it. It also has a couple of more recipes that look absolutely divine. (Thanks, David!)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large lemons, grated and juiced (about 2 tablespoons zest and 6 tablespoons juice)

1 cup whole milk

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Softly whipped cream, for serving

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the middle of the oven.

Place butter in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar as you mash the mixture with a wooden spoon until it looks like damp sand.

Mix egg yolks into sugar mixture, then beat in the flour. Add lemon zest and juice, then whisk in the milk.

In a separate clean large bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold whites by hand gently into batter.

Pour mixture into a 5-cup ceramic or glass baking dish (or Pyrex pie plate). Bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes, or until mixture is just set and top is golden brown. (Alternatively, bake in individual ramekins or custard cups for about 20 minutes.)

Serve warm, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, with softly whipped cream alongside.

CREAMY LEMONADE PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant lemon pudding mix

2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese softened

3/4 C. lemonade concentrate

1 graham cracker crust

Directions

In mixing bowl combine milk & pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light & fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in lemonade concentrate. Gradually beat in pudding mixture. Pour into crust. Cover & refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

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