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Meyer Lemon Custard Cake

January 27, 2015 by Renee

Meyer Lemon Cake

Meyer Lemon Cake-4

This winter grey has carried on for what seems like an eternity. Each day I have peeked out of the window of my kitchen and from the warmth of my house, where the radiators clang to life and bursts with steamy hisses of warm air to see the dark, almost angry skies and I watch as the snowflakes blow around in the wind, swirling and blowing sideways. The snowdrifts are growing.  I shudder with a chill and think that I absolutely hate the idea of going outside- bundling up, wrapping myself in scarves and mittens and a heavy wool coat that weighs on my shoulders and curls them forward making me hunch like an old woman, head down against the wind and cold.

Winter is a miserable season.

Thankfully, I was able to close the curtains and retreat back into the coziness of my kitchen. It’s a snow day, today, and everyone will get to stay home. It’s a good day to turn on the oven. On the counter sits a bowl of bright yellow orbs of sunshine- Meyer Lemons- just beckoning to be transformed into something to chase away this perpetual winter.

Meyer Lemon Cake-9

A custardy, soufflé-like cake that bursts with rays of flavor- bright and refreshing, luscious and lemony is sure to banish this dreary weather once and for all. Meyer lemons are winter’s answer to sunlight.

These citrus fruits are sweeter and less tart than your typical every day, store bought lemons. Their season is short and supplies are usually quite limited depending on where you live, so if you see them in the store, grab a few, or a maybe even a dozen to use. You can store them on your counter, but they will last longer in the fridge.

 

Meyer Lemon Cake-1

 

 

Meyer Lemon Custard Cake
 
Print
Author: Renee
Ingredients
  • 4 tbs butter, cut into 1 tbs pieces, room temperature + more for preparing the baking dish
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1 tbs Meyer lemon zest
  • ⅓ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbs. powdered sugar
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 1 quart soufflé dish.
  2. In a medium bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy at medium speed. Add egg yolks, one at a time and continue to beat until completely mixed and creamy.
  3. Lower the mixer speed and add the lemon zest, lemon juice and the flour. Continue mixing until all of the flour is incorporated.
  4. Add the sour cream and milk and beat until a smooth mixture. Set aside.
  5. In a medium bowl whip the egg whites until foamy, slowly add the salt and continue to whip until they hold stiff peaks
  6. Gently fold half the beaten eggs whites into the lemon mixture being sure to not deflate them. Repeat with the other half of the egg whites. Don't over mix. Fold the eggs in gently until all of them are combined with the lemon mixture.
  7. Pour into the prepared soufflé dish and place the entire dish into a larger pan to be used as a water bath. Pour boiling water about 1" high all around the soufflé dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden and the cake springs back with a light touch to the top. Don't open the oven door while the cake is baking!
  8. Once you remove the cake from the oven, carefully remove it from the water bath and let the pan cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
  9. Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve with berries and/or whipped cream.
3.2.2929

Meyer Lemon Cake-7

Meyer Lemon Cake-8

Meyer lemons are very versatile. Their characteristic sweetness comes from being crossed with mandarin oranges somewhere along their lineage and you can add them to any recipe calling for regular lemons- stews and tagines, roast chicken, or vegetables. Their zest makes a provides a burst of fresh flavor when added to pasta or risotto, and their juice can be used in recipes for cocktails, lemonade, sorbets, vinaigrettes, lemon cakes, bars, and pies. Their very presence makes you think of all things bright and sunny.

They make Lemon Curd into a velvety, creamy, tangy treat that you cannot get enough of and their peels when candied will make you swoon, especially if you have coated them with dark chocolate. Which is always a good thing.

And while I will have to venture out into the snow tomorrow, at least for today I can burnish the dreary darkness of winter away with a luminous yellow against the grey sky.  With thanks to Meyer Lemons.

Filed Under: Eat, Desserts Tagged With: Cake, Custard, Meyer Lemon

Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours Cookbook Review

January 13, 2015 by Renee

Lamb Tagine

Welcome to January! Hope you have all had a nice long break and are ready to start the new year. I spent most of my break going room to room in my house emptying closets and drawers, making bags for donation and bags for garbage. I purged quite a bit and still feel I could make one or two more rounds and will probably spend a few more weekends doing so. It’s amazing how much you accumulate!

In purging, I also culled my cookbook collection down to a mere 206 books. But of course, this leaves several emptyish shelves which I am sure will be filled again as so many terrific books came out last year that I am still in the process of acquiring. (But, I am trying to purge a few more in the process as well. Must keep a balance you know!)

One book that arrived recently is Ruth Barnes’ Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours.  The title is was what drew me in. I love Moroccan food and hoped that this book would guide me in making traditional fare at home.  Like so many home cooks, the author, Ruth Barnes,  is a busy spouse, parent, and professional who cannot spend all day in the kitchen preparing complicated meals. Her goal was to make the cuisine accessible to the home cook. In the book she shares tips and techniques for preparing Moroccan classics like bastilla, lamb with apricots and prunes (my re-creation above), and chicken with preserved lemons, as well as more familiar dishes like baba-ganoush, baklava, and kebabs.

The recipes have been quite simplified and she identifies several common ingredient substitutes and breaks down the complex spice combinations so often found in Moroccan cuisine into manageable formulas. What is left are such easy recipes that anyone can make these dishes in their own home.

I made the Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Prunes. It’s a fairly quick “stew” that doesn’t require a lot of preparation but figure about 2 hours and 15 minutes total cooking time-so it’s better for a weekend dinner than a midweek meal.  I hardly expected the kids to like the flavors but was pleasantly surprised when they all did- even my pickiest eater. While not so pretty to photograph, the dish tasted very good and I would make it again. I served it with a side of Israeli Couscous that was cooked in beef broth with sauteed onion.

Lamb Tagine with Apricots and Prunes
 
Print
Cook time
2 hours 15 mins
Total time
2 hours 15 mins
 
Author: Ruth Barnes in Sharing Morocco
Cuisine: Moroccan
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3 tbs. olive oil
  • 3 lbs boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1½ cups low sodium beef broth
  • 3 tbs honey
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 cup dried, pitted prunes
  • 1 tbs sesame seeds, for garnish
  • ½ cup walnut halves, for garnish
Method
  1. In a cooking tagine or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove the lamb to a platter.
  2. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Return the meat to the pan and add the cinnamon, ginger, turmeric cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the beef broth. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in the honey, apricots, and prunes and cook for a further 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the lamb ad fruit from the tagine and place on a serving tagine or platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and fruit.
  6. Garnish with the walnut halves and sesame seeds.
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I would consider this book to be a good entry level experience to the flavors of Morocco and one that would fit any home cook just learning about Moroccan foods.  You can buy it here on Amazon:

Ruth Barnes Sharing Morocco

 

Disclosure: Thank you so much to the Lisa Ekus Group for sending me this copy of  Sharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours by Ruth Barnes. Recipe reprinted with permission. 

Filed Under: Eat, Cookbooks, Meats Tagged With: Cookbook Review, Lamb, Moroccan

Almond Biscotti, A Classic Recipe

December 11, 2014 by Renee

Classic Almond Biscotti

Biscotti
No cookie plate would be complete without the addition of Biscotti. I don’t know where the original recipe originated but I’ve been making this basic almond biscotti recipe for nearly 20 years and they are a staple in my holiday cookie baking arsenal.  It’s been tweaked quite a bit over the years and it is easily adaptable to add other flavors and ingredients like dried cranberries or other nuts, such as pistachios or pecans/walnuts.

One thing is for sure, they are crunchy and delicious and they are perfect for dipping in your morning coffee or afternoon tea.  They also make terrific gifts although you might not want to share!

Almond Biscotti
 
Print
Author: Renee
Recipe type: Cookie
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. Almonds (or other nuts)
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 oz. butter (melted)
  • 1½ tsp. lemon zest
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbs. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 6 oz. Dark chocolate
  • 1 tbs. vegetable oil
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
  3. Divide the nuts into two batches. Grind the first batch fine and the second batch coarsely. Set aside.
  4. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until frothy and stir in the melted butter and lemon zest. Set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  6. Add the ground nuts to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
  7. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until blended together to form a dough.
  8. Shape the dough into two large logs and bake on the lined baking sheets for 25 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can safely handle the logs- about 10 minutes.
  10. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F.
  11. Slice each log into pieces about ½" thick. Lay out the pieces on each baking sheet.
  12. Bake until dry, and lightly browned, another 8-10 minutes. Cool biscotti on a rack.
  13. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the oil stirring to combine.
  14. Dip one end of the biscotti into the melted chocolate and lie it out on a sheet of parchment to harden.
  15. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for several months.
Notes
This recipe can easily be adapted for other flavors.

Substitute the lemon zest with orange zest.
Add dried fruits (1/4-1/2 cup) such as dried cranberries (craisins), dried cherries, dried apricots (chopped), candied orange or lemon peel.
Use other nuts such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios (solely or as a combination of nuts.)
Add pine nuts (2 oz.)
3.2.2885

Biscotti-2

 

Filed Under: Eat, Desserts Tagged With: Almond, Biscotti, Cookies, holidays

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