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 Creamy Lemonade Pie and Baked Lemon Pudding. Enjoy!
GLAZED LEMON COCONUT BARS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. It starts off, “Coconut and freshly grated lemon peel add zing to an all-time favorite bar.” Prep time: 15 min; Start to finish: 1 hr 50 min; Makes: 12 bars
Ingredients
Bars
1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart mix
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup fat free egg product
Lemon glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Heat oven to 350F.
In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions), until crumbly.
Press in ungreased 8-inch square pan.
Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until light brown.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all remaining bar ingredients.
Pour coconut mixture over baked layer.
Bake about 25 minutes longer or until set and golden brown. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm.
In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread over bars.
Cool completely, about 1 hour.
For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.
LEMON BLUEBERRY SORBET
This also comes from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “Lemon verbena enhances the lemon flavor of this blueberry sorbet. The rum is optional. The recipe calls for frozen blueberries, so you can make it year-round.”
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole lemon verbena leaves
1 bag frozen blueberries (14 to 16 ounces)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons lemon-flavored rum (optional)
Preparation
Put sugar and lemon verbena in a food processor and process 30 seconds. Add frozen blueberries and process 1 minute.
With the processor on, pour lemon juice and rum, if using, through the feed tube; process until smooth.
Serve sorbet immediately, or transfer to a covered bowl and keep in freezer (soften slightly before serving, if necessary).
LEMON SORBET
Here’s another recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Preparation
In a small saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a boil, stirring the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice and zest to the sugar syrup and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
EXTRA-LEMONY MERINGUE PIE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yummy recipe begins, "Made with a buttery lemon curd and topped with swirls of lemon zest-infused meringue, this pie is tangier and creamier than many others of its kind. It features a soft, spoonable curd that’s softer than other lemon meringue pie fillings. You can make it with regular or Meyer lemons: The regular ones will be sharper and brighter; the Meyers, a little softer and fruitier. This pie is best served the day it’s baked, though you can make the dough and filling up to five days in advance. The meringue, however, needs to be whipped up just before the pie is baked. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature. (Watch the video of Melissa Clark making extra-lemony meringue pie here.)"
Time: About 2 hours; Yield: 8 servings
This was featured in "The Magic of Meringues", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022949-extra-lemony-meringue-pie. While you're at it, read the entire article ("The Magic of Meringues"). I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did. (Hint: There are a couple of other recipes at the end of the article, too.)
Note: Also, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter already, please do so. Lots of good recipes, hints, and just all 'round yumminess. (Yes, yumminess is the unofficial technical term.)
Ingredients
For the Crust
All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie
For the Lemon Filling
4 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/5 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 6 regular or Meyer lemons)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the Meringue
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 3 to 4 lemons), plus more for garnish
Preparation
Prepare the crust: On a lightly floured surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); fold the edges over and crimp them together. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill in freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. (Cover with plastic if freezing for longer than a few hours. Well wrapped, it will last in the freezer for up to a month.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried rice, then bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until pale golden, 10 to 16 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. (Leave the oven on if baking the pie immediately.)
In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. Stir in lemon juice, zest and salt. Add pieces of butter and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7 to 9 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees. Inspect the filling: If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Pour filling into pie crust and return to the oven to bake until filling is set (it should jiggle only slightly in the center), about 18 to 40 minutes. (Pies prepared in glass and ceramic dishes can take much longer to bake than those prepared in metal dishes. Don't give up: The curd will eventually set; note that it continues to firm up after it is thoroughly chilled. It will still look liquidy in the center even when it's done. If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is set, reduce heat to 325 degrees.) Remove pie from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for baking the meringue.
As the filling bakes, make the meringue: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using a large metal bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot above the water, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (160 degrees on an instant thermometer) and has thickened and lightened in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed and gradually increase speed to high, until mixture is thick and fluffy, and stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in lemon zest. Mix with care to not deflate meringue: A few strokes should do it. Spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust. Using a knife or spatula, swirl in a design, if you like, and bake until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes.
Allow to cool completely and top with more lemon zest before serving.
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.
APPLE-LEMON FRITTERS
This is from the October 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It begins, "These puffy, fruit-filled gems turn breakfast or brunch into a festive meal. Serve them with warmed applesauce, maple syrup or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Offer plenty of hot coffee and hot cider."
While the magazine states it makes 4 to 6 servings, the website leaves it at 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-lemon-fritters/.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk or soymilk
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or soy margarine
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (about 1-1/2 apples) diced apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
Preparation
Place milk, eggs and butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until well combined. Fold in cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well combined. Fold in apples, cinnamon, lemon zest and sugar.
Heat oil in large skillet or deep saucepan over medium heat. When hot, spoon fritter batter into oil, about 1/4 cup at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and place on several layers of paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat until batter is used up.
To serve, place fritters on individual plates, and pass with selection of toppings.
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 Creamy Lemonade Pie and Baked Lemon Pudding. Enjoy!
GLAZED LEMON COCONUT BARS
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. It starts off, “Coconut and freshly grated lemon peel add zing to an all-time favorite bar.” Prep time: 15 min; Start to finish: 1 hr 50 min; Makes: 12 bars
Ingredients
Bars
1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons firm margarine or butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart mix
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup fat free egg product
Lemon glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Heat oven to 350F.
In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions), until crumbly.
Press in ungreased 8-inch square pan.
Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until light brown.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all remaining bar ingredients.
Pour coconut mixture over baked layer.
Bake about 25 minutes longer or until set and golden brown. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm.
In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread over bars.
Cool completely, about 1 hour.
For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.
LEMON BLUEBERRY SORBET
This also comes from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “Lemon verbena enhances the lemon flavor of this blueberry sorbet. The rum is optional. The recipe calls for frozen blueberries, so you can make it year-round.”
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole lemon verbena leaves
1 bag frozen blueberries (14 to 16 ounces)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons lemon-flavored rum (optional)
Preparation
Put sugar and lemon verbena in a food processor and process 30 seconds. Add frozen blueberries and process 1 minute.
With the processor on, pour lemon juice and rum, if using, through the feed tube; process until smooth.
Serve sorbet immediately, or transfer to a covered bowl and keep in freezer (soften slightly before serving, if necessary).
LEMON SORBET
Here’s another recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Preparation
In a small saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a boil, stirring the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice and zest to the sugar syrup and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
EXTRA-LEMONY MERINGUE PIE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yummy recipe begins, "Made with a buttery lemon curd and topped with swirls of lemon zest-infused meringue, this pie is tangier and creamier than many others of its kind. It features a soft, spoonable curd that’s softer than other lemon meringue pie fillings. You can make it with regular or Meyer lemons: The regular ones will be sharper and brighter; the Meyers, a little softer and fruitier. This pie is best served the day it’s baked, though you can make the dough and filling up to five days in advance. The meringue, however, needs to be whipped up just before the pie is baked. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature. (Watch the video of Melissa Clark making extra-lemony meringue pie here.)"
Time: About 2 hours; Yield: 8 servings
This was featured in "The Magic of Meringues", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022949-extra-lemony-meringue-pie. While you're at it, read the entire article ("The Magic of Meringues"). I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did. (Hint: There are a couple of other recipes at the end of the article, too.)
Note: Also, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter already, please do so. Lots of good recipes, hints, and just all 'round yumminess. (Yes, yumminess is the unofficial technical term.)
Ingredients
For the Crust
All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie
For the Lemon Filling
4 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/5 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 6 regular or Meyer lemons)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the Meringue
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 3 to 4 lemons), plus more for garnish
Preparation
Prepare the crust: On a lightly floured surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); fold the edges over and crimp them together. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill in freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. (Cover with plastic if freezing for longer than a few hours. Well wrapped, it will last in the freezer for up to a month.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried rice, then bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until pale golden, 10 to 16 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. (Leave the oven on if baking the pie immediately.)
In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. Stir in lemon juice, zest and salt. Add pieces of butter and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7 to 9 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees. Inspect the filling: If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Pour filling into pie crust and return to the oven to bake until filling is set (it should jiggle only slightly in the center), about 18 to 40 minutes. (Pies prepared in glass and ceramic dishes can take much longer to bake than those prepared in metal dishes. Don't give up: The curd will eventually set; note that it continues to firm up after it is thoroughly chilled. It will still look liquidy in the center even when it's done. If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is set, reduce heat to 325 degrees.) Remove pie from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for baking the meringue.
As the filling bakes, make the meringue: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using a large metal bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot above the water, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (160 degrees on an instant thermometer) and has thickened and lightened in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed and gradually increase speed to high, until mixture is thick and fluffy, and stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in lemon zest. Mix with care to not deflate meringue: A few strokes should do it. Spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust. Using a knife or spatula, swirl in a design, if you like, and bake until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes.
Allow to cool completely and top with more lemon zest before serving.
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.
APPLE-LEMON FRITTERS
This is from the October 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It begins, "These puffy, fruit-filled gems turn breakfast or brunch into a festive meal. Serve them with warmed applesauce, maple syrup or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Offer plenty of hot coffee and hot cider."
While the magazine states it makes 4 to 6 servings, the website leaves it at 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-lemon-fritters/.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk or soymilk
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or soy margarine
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (about 1-1/2 apples) diced apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
Preparation
Place milk, eggs and butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until well combined. Fold in cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well combined. Fold in apples, cinnamon, lemon zest and sugar.
Heat oil in large skillet or deep saucepan over medium heat. When hot, spoon fritter batter into oil, about 1/4 cup at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and place on several layers of paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat until batter is used up.
To serve, place fritters on individual plates, and pass with selection of toppings.
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