Lemons!

I love lemon, lemon ices, lemon pie, lemon chicken. And my favorite lemon has to be the Meyer Lemon. They're even getting a little easier to find these days. At least around here. They are a softer lemon than the regular ones and have less of a pucker! More orange yellow, and rounder, that's how you can tell you have a Meyer Lemon! If I can't find any, I'll add the juice of a clementine to the juice of a lemon to soften the pucker. Similar flavor to a Meyer. Good sub, but you can use any lemon you like for this recipe. It's Meyer season and I managed to find a bunch. When I do find them, I buy a lot and freeze them whole. So we can have them any time of year!

The LA Times had an article that mentioned 100 things you can do with a Meyer lemon. So many great ideas! I decided to make lemon curd. My friend Linda had mentioned it recently and gave me a craving! You can use it on a cookie, in a tart, as a topping, or just eat it with a spoon. That's what I did. Spoon! I did find a really good use for it after all. Lemon-stuffed French toast! Check back, that's in my next post! But even so, I'll have to make another batch, just for the spoon!

This is the easiest lemon curd recipe I have tried. Practically foolproof. Because even if you screw it up and cook the eggs you can just strain those little bitty pieces out. Won't affect the flavor at all. Or you can eat it lumpy. But straining works. Or resist the temptation to put it in for the extra 30 seconds, this time I resisted and it came out fine!

But is it lemon butter, or lemon curd? I always called it curd, but butter sounds much nicer. Call it whatever you want, I'm calling it good!

Microwave Lemon Curd
Source: ColleenOz, CF
Printable Recipe

4 oz butter (NOT margarine)
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons' worth)
all the rind from the lemons, grated
1 cup sugar
4-5 eggs, thoroughly beaten

Put butter, sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high about 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Butter should be melted and sugar dissolved. Let it cool for a minute or so before you stir in the eggs. Add the eggs and microwave in 30-second bursts until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Whisk after each burst. Cool and pour into sterilized jars. Cover immediately. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 3 medium sized jars.

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Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

Also linking up to Lisa at Sweet as Sugar Cookies for Sweets for a Saturday

So it's a Sunday when I posted, it's never to late for sweets!

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Flan or a Cheesecake? or both?

Always remember that looks aren't everything! Because this flan came out a little squished from the frig, a lot lopsided and so much for amber colored syrup! I didn't have the patience to wait for the amber color, no surprise there, but the taste, the taste was absolutely fantastic. Like a custard cheesecake.

Highly recommend this one. Just make sure you have room in the refrigerator. And if you don't want it to squish, don't put it in a tin foil disposable pan. And don't close the door to the frig on it. I'll make it again for sure. I'll wait for the syrup to turn amber color and I won't use a disposable pan. And it will look as good as it tastes. Because it really does taste really good. It just doesn't look so good. Not this time anyway.

Cream Cheese Flan
Source: Sandra Lee, Semi Homemade - Food Network
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Arrange 8 (6-ounce) oven-safe custard or dessert cups in a large roasting pan. Stir sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until liquid is a deep golden brown, brushing down sides of saucepan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar from crystallizing, about 12 minutes. Quickly pour syrup into prepared cups.

In a blender, combine condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to an 8-cup measuring cup or large bowl. Whisk in evaporated milk. Divide custard equally among prepared cups. Transfer roasting pan to oven. Pour enough water into roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the custard cups.

Bake until sides are firmly set and only the very center of custards jiggle slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 45 minutes (custards will firm up as they cool). Remove cups from pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Run small sharp knife around sides of custards. Invert each cup onto a dessert plate, shaking gently to release custard from cups. Drizzle caramel sauce over custard. Serve cold.

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On the side...

On vacation from work all week, having a great time doing nothing. Or at least doing nothing much. Lunch and shopping is something, but today was nothing and I loved it. A perfectly quiet house, everyone was out and about doing errands. Just me and the three dogs! Big difference between relaxing and lazy! Not relaxing. Just lazy. Sometimes you just need a day like that! Did nothing. Until dinner.

My friend, Cindy, made a Sweet Onion Pudding this past week to great reviews and the picture she took of it has had me wanting to try it ever since she posted it. Was not sure how Miss Picky would like it, but everyone else here is sure to love!

So I tried it. I used two big sweet onions, sliced on a mandoline, and a little less butter. No heavy cream. Forgot to put it on the list. I used 2% milk because I couldn't send poor hubs out yet again! He's a sweetheart and doesn't mind errands, even though he knows ten minutes after he gets home, I'll have forgotten something. He's a good sport and he'll go. They already know him at the supermarket and bet that he'll be back! He usually is :)

We loved it. Miss Picky, of course didn't. But to her credit she tried a small piece. Barely. It was a nice side to brisket, instead of the potatoes we usually have with it!

Sweet Onion Pudding
Source: CindyMac (Adapted from November 2000 Southern Living)
Printable Recipe

1 cup whipping cream
3-4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
little freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
3 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced

STIR together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually stir into egg mixture. Set aside.

MELT butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion, and cook, stirring often, 30 to 40 minutes or until onion is caramel colored. Remove onion from heat.

STIR onion into egg mixture; spoon into a lightly greased pie plate or 8-x8-inch baking dish.

BAKE at 350° for 30 minutes or until set.

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Mosaic Monday! and I get by with a little help from my friends...

There are those days, what to cook? We usually turn to the takeout menu. but Sundays I like to make a nice big dinner, it's usually the only night where we can all sit down for dinner together. My blogging friends are each doing a Julia Child recipe this weekend. Of course I'm always late to the party, fashionably late, I didn't miss it and I let my refrigerator be my guide. I had a chuck roast in there, destined to be something, probably for the crock pot. Instead I think we'll be having Julia's Beef Bourguignon. I found the recipe all over the Internet. It comes up frequently if you google "Julia Child recipes."

A beef stew using red wine instead of ketchup. Looking at the recipe I'm not so sure the family will go for it! I did make Julia's Coq au Vin recipe once, a long while back. The kids didn't love it, the chicken turned an interesting shade of dark purplish pink from the red wine. So way back then their tastes were geared more towards frozen pizza and McDonald's, they didn't love it. They survived my cream sauce phase. The lame attempts at risotto. The overcooked casseroles. This one has meat and vegetables, they just might go for it. No ketchup, but hey, you can't have everything. I threw the onions in the pot ahead of time. Forgot the flour. I used beef stock for the onions, instead of chicken stock. I got flustered. but somehow it usually turns out edible.

After I got through the trauma of the stew, I attempted dessert! I love Julia, her shows and her personality were a lot of fun, but boy does she have a lot of instructions in her recipes. For someone who tends to get distracted, it was worth it, but it took me quite a few hours. Curdled the Creme Anglaise, I've made Bread Pudding before, I usually just mix the eggs with the milk or cream and pour, this I cooked and cooked and got impatient. yeah, well, then I turned up the heat. Looked away for only a moment. Curdled. A little. Not burned beyond recognition. but little bits of egg. I assume that's what strainers are for. Still tasted good. I was a little distracted. I forgot the VANILLA! Too late. It still tasted really good. There's no way I'd ever attempt cooking the rest of that book. I need a cocktail. and a cleaning woman. I had Creme Anglaise all over the floor. Cinnamon, sugar, it's there, too. My dogs were happy!

The flan is fantastic! There was no way I was waiting for after dinner after all that, so we had it for a mid afternoon snack during football. I served it with strawberries. Definitely worth the trouble and the mess, I'll be making this again. We're having the stew later. Just how do you pronounce Boeuf  Bourguignon? I pronounced it Beef Stew to my family!

So here is my tribute, but for me, it was more like a challenge...

Beef Bourguignon
Beef Stew in Red WIne, with Bacon, Onion and Mushrooms

adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck and also in Julia's Kitchen Wisdom
Source: Good Morning America recipes
Printable Recipe

One 6-ounce piece of bacon (I used sliced bacon)
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (I used chuck)
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock or canned beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 1/2 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cut bacon into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Cinnamon Toast Flan (a Bread Pudding) 
Source: Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child
Printable Recipe

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
6 or 7 slices white sandwich bread, crusts left on
1/4 cup sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

5 eggs
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3 3/4 cups hot milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Butter the bread slices on one side, using half the butter. Arrange them buttered side up on a broiling rack and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over each. Watching carefully, broil a few seconds, until sugar bubbles up. Cut each slice into 4 triangles. Smear the remaining butter inside the baking dish, and fill with the toast triangles, sugar side up.

Make a custard sauce or crème anglaise* with the eggs, yolks, sugar, milk and vanilla, and pour half through a sieve over the toast. Let soak 5 minutes, then sieve on the remaining custard.

Place the dish in a roasting pan and set in the lower-middle of a preheated 350°F. oven. Pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, keeping the water bath at just below the simmer. It is done when a skewer plunged into the custard an inch from the side comes out clean.

Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold, accompanied with a fruit sauce or cut-up fresh fruits. (It will keep 2 days in the refrigerator.)

Crème Anglaise:
Whisk the eggs in a 2-quart stainless-steel saucepan, adding the sugar by spoonfuls. Continue whisking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the yolks are thick and pale yellow and "form the ribbon." By dribbles at first, stir in the hot milk. Set over medium heat, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spoon, reaching all over the bottom of the pan as the custard gradually heats and thickens, do not let it come near the boil. If it seems to be getting too hot, lift pan up, then continue as the sauce thickens. You are almost there when surface bubbles begin to disappear and you may see a whiff of steam arise.

Check out what my friends are making in honor of Julia Child...
Debbie @ Mountains Breath, Sage Butter Cakes

Susan @ Savoring Time in the Kitchen, Profiteroles with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Marsha @ Marsha's Kitchen, Supremes de Volaille a Brun

Jayne @ A Grain of Salt, Herb Biscuits

Suzy @ Kitchen Bouquet, Soupe Aux Choux - Garbure

Barb @ Foley's Follies, Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons

Kathleen @ Cuisine Kathleen is probably out shopping for bargains and will join up later this evening! I'll fix the link when she posts!

and Cynthia, who may or may not be cooking along but she certainly is reading and eating along with us always :)

 

I'm also joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday because I enjoy seeing all the beautiful mosaics and creative posts people come up with, so stop by Mary's to get the links to all the fun mosaics this week.

You can make your own fun photo projects here and here!

Also wishing Barb a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!

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Mosaic Monday! When life gives you lemons...

When life gives you lemons... then make some Lemon Mousse! Martha Stewart came out with another cookbook recently. So far I've been pretty successful with her recipes. That's saying as lot. This one is from her new book, Martha Stewart's Dinners at Home. I really like this latest one, I've bookmarked a few to try. Starting with the Lemon Mousse!

Joining in with Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday! Check out the Little Red House to see all the talented folks who post their beautiful mosaics!

Lemon Mousse
Source: Martha Stewart's Dinners at Home
Printable Recipe

4 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 cup heavy cream, well chilled

Using a wooden spoon, stir the eggs, sugar and lemon juice together in a saucepan over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly and when it starts to thicken somewhat, raise the heat to medium and continue stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about five minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Whisk the heavy cream in a metal bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can make this up to 2 days ahead.

 My notes: I needed about 4 lemons for this. I mixed two regular lemons with two Meyer Lemons. I topped the kid's mousse with granola, and our's with raspberries!

If you love lemons, then you might want to try Lemon Custard Cakes from Martha Stewart. They are also fantastic!

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Mosaic Monday: Quiche

Welcome to another Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary at The Little Red House! Check out Mary's blog, there are loads of participants with all different kinds of really cool mosaics joining in on Mosaic Monday every week!

This is a basic quiche recipe I've been making for years. It's been adapted along the way to whatever I have on hand. Whole milk, low fat, heavy cream, it's a basic custard so use whatever you have. You can add any fillings you like, any cheeses you like. Very adaptable. Spinach and Artichoke with Mozzarella is really good. The recipe usually makes enough for a deep dish crust OR two regular pie crusts. Tonight I used 2% milk, shredded cheddar and shredded mozzarella. It's basically a "leftovers" quiche! Sounds nicer than a "dump" quiche though. But that's basically it. Dump whatever you have and mix it up, pour it in and bake. It is a lot more elegant than I make it out to be, it's great at a brunch, or luncheon, or anything.






It's also good crustless, just pour into a baking dish and bake until it's set in the center.









Broccoli, Cheddar and Mushroom Quiche
Printable Recipe

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Custard Filling:
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups broccoli, florets, chopped small
1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
8 ounces mushrooms, white button, sliced
1 shallot, chopped fine
olive oil and a little butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Line pie shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill it with uncooked beans, rice, aluminum or ceramic pie weights. Bake until golden brown and dry. Carefully remove foil and weights. Transfer to a wire rack to cool while making filling.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add shallots, and cook, stirring, until translucent but not brown, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Add broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms first release their liquid and then liquid evaporates and mushrooms are dark golden brown and the broccoli is tender.

Transfer quiche pan to a baking sheet. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the bottom of the crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix in the mushrooms, shallots, broccoli and remaining cheese. Pour into the pie shell. Transfer to oven, and bake until just set in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing.





They really do mean WAIT TEN MINUTES before slicing. I had one messy, messy slice. but it tasted so good. I never said I had patience to wait. and you must have noticed by now how well I am at following directions!





You can make a quiche ahead of time, just reheat it. It freezes and reheats really nicely!

If you need to bake your own pie shell, here a few good recipes... Martha Stewart Flaky Tart Dough and Pate Brisee, Martha Stewart's Basic Pie Dough.

I like to take the easy way out and just buy one!

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Stop by Cuisine Kathleen and show Kathleen your whites. Or just check out everyone else who's joining in with their white tables, dishes, flowers, whatever! Always a fun event over at Kathleen's. Check it out! Her event starts tomorrow on June 23 but many have already started posting their whites! I'll be there tomorrow to show her my pearly whites!

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Easy Baked Ziti

Tonight we had Easy Baked Ziti with Baked Meatballs. Remember, I go for the easy way, not so much how everyone else might make their baked ziti. I mix mostly everything in one bowl and then dump in the baking dish. I guess it could be called One Bowl Baked Ziti! Miss Picky likes it, and she doesn't eat cheese most of the time, so who am I to argue? It was her pick what to have for dinner tonight. I thought I'd be nice, vacation is over and we're getting back to routine. Six in the morning wake -up! Welcome to Monday! It's been a nice week while it lasted.

and my friend Kathleen, of Cuisine Kathleen, I know how much you love dogs, by the way, my dog Chip has very good table manners! He's just looking!

You can make your own sauce, or just buy a jar, we like Prego, Victoria brand or Rao's Marinara or you can even make your own jarred Rao's sauce, like from the Rao's Cookbook. All good.

A nice dessert to end the meal is Zabaglione with fresh fruit. I didn't make it, but it's still a nice dessert! We went out for Italian ices. Also a nice way to end a meal!


Easy Baked Ziti
adapted from the millions of recipes out there
Printable Recipe

Marinara sauce
Ricotta cheese (more or less depending on how cheesy you like it!)
Mozzarella cheese (I used shredded. Use whatever you like.)
One large egg (I like it with the egg, I know some who don't use it.)
Grated parmesan cheese or parmigiano-reggiano
1 pound box Ziti pasta, cooked al dente and drained

Take a big mixing bowl, add the egg with a small container of ricotta, use a larger container of ricotta if you like, but then add another egg if you like. Mix some grated cheese in to the ricotta and egg and then mix the ziti noodles in to the cheese mixture. Coat the bottom of a large baking dish (9×13 dish) with some marinara. Put some of the ziti cheese mix on top. Sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella, then a little more of the sauce to cover. Another layer of the noodles, some more sauce, then layer the top with the rest of the mozzarella.Cover with sauce lightly and some thin slices mozzarella. Pile the rest of the ziti mixture on top of that layer. Bake at 350 until cheese has melted, bubbly and lightly beginning to brown.



I never baked my meatballs before, but it sounded like a good idea. this one got great reviews over at the cooking forum. O f course I never follow exactly, and somewhere along the way I got distracted, so there is no onion in mine. No veal or pork. I forgot to add it to the list. and I decided to be nice to Larry and not send him out for the third time today! The guy at the grocery knows he'll see him at least two more times after the first list! If they had a cell phone signal in the front of the store it might save a couple trips. but I doubt it. I didn't read the whole recipe and used eggs, not just the yolks. I used white bread soaked in the milk, instead of bread crumbs. I guess same difference, it squishes very well! I didn't roll them in bread crumbs, I threw them in a pot of sauce to simmer for a while.
Baked Meatballs
recipe from Marilyn (DanaIN - Cooking Forum)
Printable Recipe

3/4 + 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup heavy cream (or milk)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal or pork
1 onion; minced
2 cloves garlic: crushed or minced
1 teaspoon each; oregano, basil, parsley
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon table salt)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks

Combine 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs with milk; let set for five minutes. Stir together onion, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, egg yolks and bread soaked in milk. Fold in meats and shape into 1/4-cup balls and roll in remaining bread crumbs. Place a rack inside a baking dish sprayed with Pam leaving a little space between each meatball. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 425° until they reach an internal temperature of 160°. Do not over bake. Makes about 20 meatballs. These are very tender and juicy.
These are also good simmered in sauce after baking. If desired, omit bread crumbs on the outside.

Zabaglione
by Tyler Florence

4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
8 long-stemmed strawberries
Bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and whisk until foamy. Set the bowl over the simmering water, without letting the bottom touch the water, and continue to whisk constantly. Gradually pour in the Marsala while continuing to beat - don't let it boil. Keep working-out that arm and whisk vigorously for a good 5 minutes, until the custard has doubled in volume and is very thick and yellow.
Spoon the zabaglione into dessert bowls and serve with fresh strawberries.

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It was a nice day, we all sat down together, and we ate early. That doesn't always happen these days! I'm ready to face the week!

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Flashback Friday - Lemon Custard Cakes

Finally a pretty spring day here. Sunny and sort of warm. Or at least it's getting there! Makes me think of these light, sweet, tart custard cakes! Definitely perfect to join in with Suzy from Kitchen Bouquet for her Flashback Friday! It's a great event, really fun to revisit some excellent tried and true recipes. This lemon custard is worthy of a do over again and again! I promise if you love lemon, you won't be able to stop at just one!

Just a few tablespoons of flour magically turns the top into a very light springy cake while the bottom is a light and sweet-tart custard! Dust with a little powdered sugar and you're good to go for an elegant dessert or a casual treat! They are pretty much no fail, I haven't screwed these up yet and everyone loves them! We prefer them cold from the frig, but they are good, warm or if you can't wait, hot from the oven.



I've used Meyer Lemons, regular supermarket lemons, and a combo of lemon and clementine orange juice. I'd assume any citrus will work. I didn't bother using the dish towel after the first time, I guess it's in the recipe so the cups don't slip. Your choice. It's kind of like a souffle when it's in the oven, puffed up, but then it drops down when it cools. It doesn't matter, it still makes a nice presentation with really great lemon flavor. I use a bit more zest.

Lemon Custard Cakes
Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2004
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

unsalted butter, room temperature, for custard cups
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.

With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquidy).

Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (it will be pudding on the bottom but a cakey layer on top), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

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