Love with Lemons
Valentine’s Day desserts are not just for chocolate.
When it comes to sweets, the gaze of romance seems to rest upon chocolate almost exclusively. I propose expanding your taste buds to the delights of lemon plus sugar this Valentine’s Day. Cakes, pies, cookies and even liquor for toasting love are wonderfully delightful when made with lemon. Lemon’s bright color is an antidote to winter gray and more substantially, a boon to health. Lemon is a wonderful source of vitamin C, one of the great helpers in warding off colds. Lemon is a useful acid spritz for sliced fruits, preserving their color and adding a bit of flavor. The Meyer lemon is widely touted for its less tart properties; however, all lemons are delicious.
Lemon can also be a delightfully romantic taste, especially for those of us who appreciate the tart side of life. I have always taken issue with the claim of an old sixties ballad that tells us that the fruit of the lemon is impossible to eat.
Allyson Hirsch, Chambellan of the Bailli of Myrtle Beach, likes to use lemons to make limoncello, a lovely Italian liquor that is often served chilled. This drink is a lovely addition to the dessert course of any meal, especially at Valentine’s Day. Allyson has shared her recipe with us and although you may not have time to make it yourself before this Valentine’s Day celebration be sure to make some to put aside for future romantic suppers. She likes to make it in the height of the citrus season when lemons are freshest.”The best fruit makes the best liquor,” she says.
Eric Masson, owner and Chef of the Brentwood French restaurant has shared his recipe for a luscious lemon tart with us. Although chocolate soufflé is one of his best-known sweets, I think that this tart more than holds its own as a wonderful finish to an elegant evening and well worth the effort to make at home.
Alida Zamparini, a food blogger at www.mylittleitaliankitchen.com summarizes why a homemade dessert is especially perfect for Valentine’s Day. She explains, “Cooking is an expression of who you are and your personality. You have to put your whole self into it (cooking)—your passion, feelings and experience go into the food. You become part of the recipe.” She shares her gluten- free lemon ricotta cake to make for our gluten-sensitive lemon loving Valentines.
If you prefer something small, and simple, tarts are an option. My quick lemon tarts takes advantage of that wonderful British invention—lemon curd. This lovely thick lemon concoction is available on most grocery shelves in our area (jam section) and can be spooned into tart shells and topped with whipped cream to make instant mini-lemon pies. Great for those who want only a small sweet at the end of a meal. As Zamparini says, homemade food, dessert or main dish, complex or simple, is a gift of self, the best gift of all to one’s family and one’s beloved.
Allyson’s Limoncello
Ingredients
1 bag of lemons (at least 15 lemons) Allyson buys hers at Costco
1 750 ml bottle of a good but not the most expensive, vodka
2 ½ cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
Decorative glass bottles with tight tops
Method
Zest all lemons, avoiding all of the white pith
Combine the zest with the vodka in a large glass container with lid
Put it away for a few weeks.
Open and stir the mixture once a week
After 4-6 week, use coffee filters to strain the mixture.
At this point, make a simple syrup by mixing the water and sugar, bringing this mix to a boil.
Allow the mix to boil for five minutes. Move the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool. Mix the syrup and strained vodka together. Store the mixture in bottles and keep in the freezer until you are ready to use it. Serve in frozen aperitif glasses.
Joan’s Quick Mini Lemon Pies
Ingredients
1 jar lemon curd
1 package tart shells
1 can of whipped cream (you can substitute a non-dairy whipped topping)
Twists of lemon peel, one per tart
Method
Spoon curd into tart shells.
Top with whipped cream
Add twist of peel on top for decoration.
Refrigerate these after making. Do not add the whipped topping until you are ready to serve.
Alida Zamparini’s Gluten Free Almond, Ricotta and Lemon Cake
Reprinted with permission, from her website, www.mylittleitaliankitchen.com
Ingredients
10 oz ground almonds
8 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz sugar (granulated, white)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
Salt to taste
4 oz butter
Zest of one lemon (organic or other unwaxed)
Almond flakes, about 5 Tablespoons to sprinkle on top
Procedure
Whip the egg yolks with the sugar. Then add the melted butter, ricotta, ground almonds, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix well. Whip the egg whites with the salt and then incorporate into ricotta mixture. Pour all into a greased round mold and level it with a spoon. Wet the almond flakes to keep them from burning in the oven. Sprinkle almonds on top and cook the cake for 40 minutes at 320 degrees.
Eric Masson’s Tarte au Citron (Lemon Tart)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Pastry
1 cup plain flour
2½ oz unsalted butter, softened
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Filling
3 eggs
2 yolks
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup cream
¾ cup lemon juice
water
1½ tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon rind
2 small Meyer lemons
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
Method
Pastry
1 To make the pastry, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Make a well and add the butter, egg yolk and confectioner’s sugar. Work together the butter, yolk and sugar with your fingertips, then slowly incorporate the flour. Bring together into a ball—you may need to add a few drops of cold water. Flatten the ball slightly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2 Preheat the oven to moderately hot 400F. Lightly grease a shallow loose-bottomed flan tin, about ¾ inch deep and 8½ inches across the base.
3 Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper until it is 1/8 inch thick, to fit the base and side of the tin. Trim the edge. Chill for 10 minutes.
4. Line the pastry with crumpled baking paper, fill with baking beads or rice and bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked. Remove the paper and beads and bake for another 6-8 minutes, or until the pastry looks dry all over. Cool the pastry and reduce the oven temperature to slow 300F.
Filling and Topping
1. Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together, add the cream and juice and mix well. Strain into a bowl and then add the rind.
2. Carefully pour in the filling right up to the top of flan tin. Place the flan tin on a baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven.
3. Bake for 40 minutes or until it is just set—it should wobble in the middle when the tin is firmly tapped. Cool the tart before removing from its tin.
4. Wash and scrub the Meyer lemons well. Slice very thinly (about1/8 inch thick).
5. Combine the sugar and 6½ fl oz water in a small frying pan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
6. Add the lemon slices and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, or until the peel is very tender and the pith looks transparent. Lift out of the syrup and drain on baking paper.
7. Decorate the tart when ready to serve. Cover the surface with lemon slices. If not serving immediately, keep the slices covered until you are ready to serve.
Serve warm or chilled, with a little whipped cream.
This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Love with Lemons."