All That Lemony Goodness - Part Deux

It's no secret, I love lemons. In particular - I love Meyer lemons. You get all that absolute lemon Joy without the overbearing urge to slap the crap out of the person next to you when you bite into them. They are milder, sweeter than grocery store variety lemons, and mellower in taste. Considered to be a cross between tangerines and garden variety lemons, you can usually find them in the better fresh produce departments beginning about November on to about late April.

So... why, when they aren't really in season am I waxing on about Meyer Lemons? Well, I was poking around in my mom's freezer today. And there... in the back... under the pureed quince and the fresh frozen, china-berry sized English peas, was a pint of frozen Meyer Lemon juice..and it got those salivary glands working.

I thought today in honor of the found provenance of glory, I'd continue the Lemony Goodness saga.

First on the docket today is Lemon Chess Pie with Swedish Double Chocolate Crisps. I love the combination of lemon and chocolate - and the Swedish Crisps add a truly great texture to the pie.

With both of the following you can use "regular lemons". They will both just be slightly tarter than with Meyer Lemons.

Meyer Lemon Chess Pie with Swedish Double Chocolate Crisps
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 Cup Sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter
Grated Rind and Juice of two large or three small Meyer lemons
- or -
about 1/2 Cup of Lemon Juice &
2 Tablespoons Lemon Rind
4 Large Eggs - Separated
1 Pie Crust - (Frozen, ready-to-bake works just fine) If you'd rather make fresh crust, you can find the recipe here
1 Box of Double Chocolate Crisps (These are readily available at your local-ish Ikea Store in the Ikea Foods section. However.... If you aren't close to an Ikea, you can buy them online Swedish Double Chocolate Crisps )
1 Stand Mixer with 2 Bowls
1 Pie Tin

• Preheat Oven to 350
• Bake the crust until lightly browned - about 15 minutes, Remove and cool
  Cream the sugar with butter until its smooth and fluffy
• Beat in  the egg yolks
• Add the grated lemon rind and juice, beat it in to combine
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites (Remember to wash and clean the beaters before beginning the egg whites, any fat or oil from the butter and eggs will keep the egg whites from frothing) until stiff peaks form
• Fold the egg whites into the butter mixture. (Fold in 3 stages - 1/3 of the whites at a time)
• Crumble up 6 of the Swedish Crisps into quarter-sized chunks
• Fold them into the pie mixture
• Pour into baked pie shell and bake at 350 until set and lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes. 

To Serve, Crush up the rest of the crisps and sprinkle on top after the pie cools


Okay!, now that's out of the way...on to Meyer Lemon Pound Cake (you know how I feel about pound cake), and I'm giving it to you in Full Bodied - Regular  and in Gluten-Free - Unleaded versions.

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake - Full Bodied

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine (1 stick) softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Cultured Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Meyer Lemon Syrup, See Recipe Below
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
1 Stand Mixer
1 8" spring form pan

Meyer Lemon Syrup

Ingredients
1 Cup Meyer Lemon Juice
1 Cup Sugar

• In a non-metal sauce pan, heat the Lemon Juice on low
• When the juice is warm to the touch, add the sugar and stir until all the sugar is dissolved
• Remove from heat and chill

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour the 8" pan
• In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter (margarine) and sugar till light and fluffy, (About 3 minutes)
• Add in the large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add in the buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of Lemon Syrup
• In small bowl, sift together flour, baking pwder and salt.
• With the Mixer on low speed, add in flour mix to butter - mix in small amounts, and continue beating until its all blended and fluffy
• Stir in the Lemon Zest
• With large spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes - or until a tester comes out clean.
• Let cake cold in pan for 10 min before releasing the spring form.
• After 10 minutes, Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
• Brush the hot cake with the remainder of the lemon syrup and Let the cake cool completely on the rack.

The cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for future enjoyement

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake - Unleaded

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine (1 stick) softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Cultured Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Meyer Lemon Syrup, See Recipe Below
1 Cup Sorghum Flour
1/2 Cup Rice Flour
1/4 Cup Potato Starch
1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
4 Teaspoons Corn-Free Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
1 Stand Mixer
1 8" spring form pan

Meyer Lemon syrup
Ingredients
1 Cup Meyer Lemon Juice
1 Cup Sugar

• In a non-metal sauce pan, heat the Lemon Juice on low
• When the juice is warm to the touch, add the sugar and stir until all the sugar is dissolved
• Remove from heat and chill

For the Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour an 8" pan
In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter (margarine) and sugar till light and fluffy, (About 3 minutes)
Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add in the buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of Lemon Syrup
In a separate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
With the Mixer on low speed, add in flour mix to butter - mix in small amounts, beating until its all blended and fluffy
Stir in Lemon Zest
With large spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes - or until a tester comes out clean.
Let cake cold in pan for 10 min before Releasing the spring form.
After 10 minutes, Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
Brush the hot cake with the remainder of the lemon syrup and Let the cake cool completely on the rack.

This cake, as well, can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for future enjoyement

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