Let Them Eat Cake

It's a gorgeous Easter Sunday in NYC and I still have yet to find an abundance of spring veggies. Maybe I'm not shopping at the right places? Fine. Who needs vegetables anyway? Let's forget healthy living for a minute and just bake! 

I decided to make a dessert using only ingredients that I already had on hand, but didn't want it to be super boring looking. Hellooo, 1950s! I unearthed my bundt pan (that I've had for years but never used) to put to use for the first time.  If you don't have a bundt pan, you could swap in 2 regular (8-inch) cake pans or 1 (9x13) baking pan, but just check for doneness earlier in the baking process.

This is a very simple cake recipe, but I recommend using a stand mixer if you can. (There's no reason to exert yourself!) The cake is light in texture and sweetness so is perfect as a spring dessert. Or for breakfast. Or lunch. Or tea time. Or Mad Men viewing. You get the picture. Having a hard time hanging with the relatives? Forgot to file your taxes? Just eat cake! 

Lemon Bundt Cake

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Glaze
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10" tube pan, or a 9" to 10", 9- to 10-cup capacity bundt-style pan.

2. Beat together the butter, sugar, and salt, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in the grated lemon zest.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

6. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack. After 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, and turn the cake out onto a rack.

7. Poke the hot cake all over with a cake tester or toothpick. Stir the glaze to combine, and immediately brush it on the hot cake. Let it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up. Allow the cake to cool before slicing. Serves 16.

Go Blue!

I'm still feeling March Madness even though it's April. You may be surprised to find out that I will be glued to the TV today, watching the last four teams in the NCAA tournament play this afternoon and evening, paying particular attention to the Wolverines. CBS Sports is predicting Michigan and Louisville in the finals. That would be spectacular. But whatever way the ball bounces, I have enjoyed the tournament and getting to know Coach Beilein a little better through this great read.

I haven't thought specifically about sporty snacks for your game day watching (particularly with the Season 6 Mad Men premiere looming!) so I tried to come up with some inspiration from my existing maize and blue highlight reel below, though I was hard pressed to come up with any blue food! No, not gold and navy or yellow and royal. Maize and blue. Hail!

Fresh Corn Salad

Smoked Garlic Aioli

Blueberry Crumb Pie

Lemon Bars

Lemon Tart

Buttermilk Biscuits

Mixed Berry Crumble

Rustic Berry Tart

Limoncello

Milk Bath

Apparently I am the only person who hasn't made this Jamie Oliver chicken recipe before. Granted, my friend David did tell me about it about at least two years ago, but I was like, "Gross. I'm not roasting a chicken in milk." Then when I mentioned it to my friend Karen this past weekend she was like, "Oh, I make that all the time. I told you about it!" OK OK I have a faulty memory, obvs! (Funny though, because Karen and David know each other. Clearly a conspiracy!)

I have to say, I really like this alternative to a plain roasted chicken. The very subtle cinnamon with the lemon and sage provides a really interesting flavor profile that makes me want to serve it with a jasmine or basmati rice rather than the mashed potatoes that Jamie suggests. But that's just me. I was skeptical of the milk bath to begin with, so what do I know?


Chicken Roasted in Milk
Adapted from Jamie Oliver

1 (4 pound) organic chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cinnamon stick (about a 1-inch piece)
1 handful of fresh sage leaves (about 12 - 15)
Zest of 2 lemons
10 whole garlic cloves, skin left on
2 cups whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place a medium, heavy pot over medium heat (just large enough to fit the chicken) and add the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper.



2. When the butter is melted and the pot is hot, add the chicken, breast side down, and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for 6 minutes more. Remove from the pot from the heat and remove the chicken to a plate. Discard the oil and butter that is left in the pot. Keep the sticky browned bits at the bottom of the pan as they will provide additional flavor to the sauce.



3. Return the chicken to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juices about every 30 minutes. (Don't be alarmed if the sauce looks curdled. It's fine and tastes great.)



4. To serve, cut the meat from the bones and divide it onto plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and mashed potato or basmati rice. Serves four.

Shock and Awe

Hallelujah! ConEd (boo!) and my landlord (boo!) finally turned the gas back on after TWO WEEKS! Yeah! Now I know what the phrase "cooking with gas" really means! This all dovetailed with the extra annoying snowstorm of October 29. I was without gas, heat and hot water on the 28th & 29th, and have been without gas until today. It actually had nothing to do with the storm, but then again, I have yet to understand what it had to do with. I couldn't get a straight answer out of anyone! Obviously it was nothing like what the people in the state of CT have been dealing with for the past 10 days, but still. Ordering in, making salads, and cooking in the toaster oven gets old after a while! BTW: Does anybody know if I can withhold a portion of my rent? I haven't looked into that yet...

So, in light of being able to cook and bake again, I bring you...lemon pound cake! To be truthful I made this over two weeks ago, but it felt somehow wrong to blog about baking when I actually couldn't! (I am dying to bake something autumnal and pumpkin-y this weekend though, so stay tuned.) Anyway, I have been on a super hard core purge/re-organization of my apartment, and not only came across 150 food magazines hiding in the back of my closet (Relax-I threw them out!), I found a few binders full of recipes, which I similarly didn't recall hoarding, I mean, having. I did quickly flip through the recipes to pull anything that looked appealing, and this pound cake was a clear winner. It was originally a recipe for orange pound cake, but since I can't stand anything orange flavored, I changed it to lemon. Delish. I pawned it off on the folks at work not knowing that it might be the last thing I ever bake...(sniff). I think I'm going to go boil a pot of water! Because I can!



Lemon Pound Cake
Adapted from Saveur

For the Cake:
14 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

For the Glaze:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice



1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-cup loaf pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Set aside. Put the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until well combined. Set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Add the zest, beating on medium speed, then add remaining 13 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting until each is completely incorporated before adding more.

3. Slowly add the milk-egg mixture, beating constantly, until the batter is just mixed together. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55-65 minutes. (Lightly cover the cake with a piece of buttered foil during baking if it begins to get too brown.) Allow the cake to cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake.

4. For the glaze: Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the glaze by half. Brush some of the warm glaze over the top of the cake, reapplying the glaze until cake is saturated. Serves 8.

Pipeline

In spite of my efforts to be shredded by summer, I offered to make cupcakes for a baby shower this past weekend. What does one thing have to do with the other? Nothing unless one eats all of the 48 cupcakes one makes. OK I did have one, but only to make sure that they were edible. They were. The cupcakes were happily consumed at the party (by others!) and I even managed to give away all of the leftovers. Success!

I went with chocolate (obvs!) and yellow cake varieties to please the masses. To simplify, I made one frosting recipe for all of the cupcakes: Cream Cheese. So delish. I considered adding some cocoa to half of the frosting so that the chocolate cupcakes looked slightly different, but that just sounded like another bowl to wash and I already had dishpan hands.

This was also my first time piping frosting onto anything. The biggest problem was not piping the frosting directly into my mouth...but I also found that working with the frosting at the right temperature was a bit of a challenge since I had made it the day before, so was working with it straight from the fridge. If it's too cool, the pastry bag is too hard to squeeze and if it's too warm, the frosting gets all mushy, technically speaking.

There are tons of great sources for decorating supplies. For the glitter and sprinkles I ordered from The Party Works and for some additional baby-esque decorations I used Lucks Dec-Ons, which The Party Works also sells. All in all I think that they would have stood up to what I could have purchased from a bakery. In my mind.



Lemon Cupcakes
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened slightly
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line twenty-four muffin cups (standard size) with paper or foil liners, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.

2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer). Beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the lemon zest. Mix in the flour mixture and milk in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, beat until just combined, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

3. Fill the prepared muffin cups with about 1/4 cup batter. Bake, rotating the pans once, until the cupcakes are just golden brown and spring back to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the tins, about 5 minutes, then remove them to wire racks. Repeat with any remaining batter. Let cool completely before frosting. (See recipe below.) Makes about 24 cupcakes.



Double Chocolate Cupcakes
(Adapted from Gourmet)

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line thirty-six muffin cups (standard size) with paper or foil liners, and set aside.

2. Finely chop the chocolate and combine with the hot coffee in a medium bowl. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. In a large bowl sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl use an electric (or stand) mixer to beat the eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to the eggs, beating until well combined. Add the sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

4. Fill the prepared muffin cups with about 1/4 cup batter. (If you are only making 2 dozen cupcakes, fill a 9-inch round cake pan with the leftover batter.) Bake, rotating the pans once, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the tins, then remove them to wire racks to frost. (See recipe below.) The cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature. Makes about 36 cupcakes (or 24 cupcakes plus one 9-inch cake).



Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds (about 6 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Add the sugar, about 1 cup at a time, and then add the vanilla. Mix until smooth. Makes about 6 cups.

NOTE: This should be enough for both batches of cupcakes, but it depends on your frosting to cupcake ratio! If you need a little more, I sometimes make cream cheese frosting by this simple ratio: 1 stick butter, 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, 1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar. Dash vanilla. Mix. It's a little sweeter but doesn't require any measuring.

When Life Gives You Lemons

So it appears that my "week of asparagus" is not winning over any big time fans. In fact, it seems as though the whole thing has gone over like a lead brick. Rest assured, people. I am finishing this week up with a...dessert! No, not asparagus gelato. Lemon bars!

When it comes to little square dessert treats, brownies really take the cake, but a good lemon bar is hard to pass up. I mashed up a few recipes to come up with my bakery style version of a lemon bar. There is a substantial crust (adapted from Cook's Illustrated) and a significant amount lemon filling, (no wimpy layers!), from a Family Circle recipe that was meant for a 9 x 13-inch pan. The result is a pretty intense square of lemony goodness.

And I can't forget to mention the most spectacular pan ever that I discovered thanks to The Catskill Kiwi. Brownie and cake sheet pans with...removable bottoms! Dude, it will totes change your life. Forget lining your pans with foil or parchment. This is genius.



Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more to decorate the finished bars
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
Filling:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. If you don't have a 9 x 9-inch pan with a removable bottom (see photo below), then fold two 16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise to measure 9 inches wide. Fit one sheet in the bottom of the pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (the overhang will help in the removal of the baked bars). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the flour, confectioners sugar, and salt in a food processor and process briefly. Add the butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then process until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second pulses. (Alternatively, mix the flour, confectioners sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, then add the butter, mixing it in with a pastry blender until the butter is well incorporated.) Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers, or the bottom of a sturdy glass or measuring cup, into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Bake the crust for 20 minutes or until it is light golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, flour, eggs and lemon juice until completely smooth. Immediately pour over the warm crust. (The filling must be added to the crust while it is still very warm.)

5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until no imprint remains in the filling when lightly touched in the center. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and cool completely. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar. Run a thin knife around the edges, remove from the pan, then cut into 16 bars and serve.

Hot Tuna

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out and I can tell you one thing: No one involved is eating pasta. Except for me, I guess. I will actually be attending a few events so carbo-loaded in anticipation. Why? I don't know. I guess that explains why I don't fit into sample sizes. That and genetics. By the way, I'm dying for one of these:


Need to get to the Alexander McQueen store on 14th street before they're gone!!!

Since I've allowed my kitchen pantry stash to dwindle as a result of vacationing, beaching it, and general malaise, I've had to make do with some bare essentials. Canned tuna is something that I always have in my cabinet, and it's not just for sandwiches. The thought of hot tuna probably makes most people gag, with the exception of those who enjoy a good diner style tuna melt (mmm...hot tuna and cheese!) or good old fashion tuna fish casserole (mmm...creamy hot tuna!), but it is possible to make quite a tasty little dish with ye olde can of tuna. Garlic makes everything taste better and salt doesn't hurt either, so the addition of olives and capers helps to elevate an otherwise mundane pantry meal. A little protein, a few carbs...who's ready to shop?!?



Pantry Pasta

6 ounces spaghetti
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 (5-ounce) can tuna (packed in water or oil), drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Zest of one lemon

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the olives, capers, tuna, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring to combine, to heat through, about 2 minutes.

2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and add to the skillet with the tuna. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon zest and toss. Add the reserved pasta water if necessary to keep pasta from sticking. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serves 2.

Show Me Your Teeth!

In my mad rush to take advantage of any and all remaining seasonal produce, I grabbed a giant bushel of basil from my local farmers' market and a few ears of corn (just cuz) though I had no idea what I was going to do with any of it. Sadly the basil had wilted from being out in the heat all day, but I managed to revive it! All you have to do is get a sturdy glass or similar vessel (I used a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup), fill it with an inch or two of cold water, place the bouquet of basil into it, stems first, cover it loosely with a plastic bag, and stick it in your fridge for an hour or so. It totally came back to life and was ready to be sacrificed for a vat of pesto!

Since I still had quite a bit of basil left, I decided to make a basil infused simple syrup so that I could make a refreshing end of summer drink that would be great for sipping on while watching Mad Men or for your end of summer Labor Day bbq. If you wanted to serve this over the rocks instead, you could skip the simple syrup and basically make it like you would a Mojito, muddling some sugar with lemons and basil, then topping it off with some vodka and ice before serving. Actually, I think I'm totally going to try that. I wonder if you would get more of the basil flavor and fragrance making it that way than you do from this simple syrup...Well, at least with my recipe you won't have to worry about errant leaves getting stuck in your teeth. Not cute.

Bitter Basiltini

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce basil simple syrup (see recipe below)
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
4 - 5 dashes of Lemon Bitters
Basil leaves for garnish

1. Pour the vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice, and bitters into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake briskly and then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with basil.



Basil Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1. Stir together the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, and let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Pour the liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into an airtight container, discarding the basil. Cover and chill. The syrup may be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Spring Has Sprung

And all of the idiots decided to go outside to bother me. I mistakenly thought that it would be a good idea to go for a bike ride along the West Side Highway, but so did everyone else. It could have been an enjoyable ride if anyone else was aware of the rules of the road, but I guess rules don't apply to bike paths? Riding three abreast or down the center double yellow or into oncoming traffic or while talking on your cell phone? All A-OK from what I saw! So is taking your small children who can barely ride their small bikes into high traffic areas. While you're at it, take your dog too, but make sure that it's on an extender leash so that they can run into oncoming traffic leaving you with no way to prevent it. Smart.

Good thing I carbo-loaded my breakfast before I left the apartment or my road rage might have spun out of control. Since the last thing I actually made was Pappardelle with Broccoli Rabe and Ricotta, I was able to make pancakes out of the leftovers. Well, the leftover ricotta. Broccoli rabe pancakes would be gross! These Lemon Ricotta Pancakes cook up so light and fluffy that they barely resemble pancakes at all, which to me is a good thing since I'm not a pancake super fan anyway.

I made it home in one piece, which is more than I can say for many of the bikers out there. Perfect example? The dude who whizzed past me in his Lance Armstrong Live Strong head to toe get-up. I was like, "Fine, you're a real fast rider. Whatever." Until I looked at his shoes. He was wearing sneakers! That weekend warrior was riding a hard core multiple thousand dollar bike, but didn't even bother to use pedals and shoes that clipped in. As I was contemplating his douchebaggery, I rode past a crash that could've been pretty gnarly. The cause? Live Armstrong! Don't forget to wear your helmets, people.



Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup ricotta
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
Unsalted butter
Maple syrup
Mixed berries



1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar, and the zest. Add the flour, and stir just until combined.

2. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the egg whites, with a pinch of salt, until they hold stiff peaks, about 6 minutes. Whisk about one fourth of the beaten whites into the ricotta mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining whites.

3. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add about 2 teaspoons of butter. Stir to melt. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the griddle and cook the pancakes for 2 - 3 minutes per side, or until they are golden, adding additional butter as necessary. Transfer the pancakes as they are cooked to a heatproof platter and keep them warm in a preheated 200°F oven. Serve with maple syrup and berries, if desired. Makes about 12 (4-inch) pancakes.

Vote Again!

Uh huh. Because I said so! Vote again! Confused? Check my post below.

Vote for Me!

Please! I never enter (and therefore never win) anything! And it's not that hard to do. (Well, it kind of is...mostly because it takes 2 - 3 minutes to do vs. the 30 seconds I've generally spent voting for bloggers in other contests.)



The Dirt: I've entered Bon Appétit's Blog Envy Bake Off. Since I only found out about it 3 days ago and voting ends on Sunday, I had to go with a holiday recipe already posted on my blog, the Meyer Lemon Curd Tart pictured below. (Trust me. It's exceptional.) Although it's not my original recipe it doesn't happen to matter for this particular contest. (I did provide credit to the book and author.) And I unfortunately don't have the time to bake, photograph, blog about, and submit my favorite holiday cookie recipe (that I could call my own) before the deadline this weekend. The deadline! You need to vote now!



Voting With Ease: Once you click on this link to the contest, click on "vote here" or "cast your vote" (you will have to register first). The next page will provide an opportunity to vote for cake recipes. Feel free to place a vote, but if you're strapped for time, skip it and scroll to the bottom and click "vote on the next batch." Do this 3 more times until you reach the pie/tart/pastry page where my lemon tart photo resides and then click on it. A green check mark will appear. WAIT! YOU'RE NOT DONE! Click on "vote on the next batch" at the bottom of the page and then, on the following page (miscellaneous) you will not be finished until you click, "Finished? Submit your survey." Do that and I will be forever grateful. I will be even more grateful if you tell your friends to do the same!

SO VOTE!

Lemony Fresh

If you are looking for a refreshing dessert recipe to make over the holiday season, look no further than this Meyer Lemon Tart recipe. Not every dessert made from November - January has to be a gingerbready-appley-cinnamony confection.

Meyer lemons, a slightly sweet, thin-skinned citrus that taste like a cross between a lemon and a tangerine, are in season from November to March. Check them out! Try them in drinks or in sweet or savory recipes.

I love lemon tarts and this recipe from The Sweet Life doesn't disappoint. It's like a little taste of the Mediterranean in the middle of the winter. I might have accidentally made the wrong dough, and might have had to start all over again with the correct recipe, but that just means that I'll have some tart crust dough waiting for me in the freezer for the next time I need to make a last minute tart. Because that happens all the time.



Meyer Lemon Curd Tart
(from The Sweet Life by Kate Zuckerman)

One 8-inch prepared sweet tart shell (see recipe below)*
6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup strained Meyer Lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature



Make the Lemon Curd
1. In the top bowl of a double boiler (or bain-marie), whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk briskly until the mixture has thickened, doubled in volume and holds the lines of a whisk, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Remove the curd from the heat and pass through a fine mesh strained into ta bowl. Discard the zest. Place the bowl in an ice bath and let cool until just warm to the touch. Thoroughly whisk in the butter. At this point you can chill or bake the lemon curd.

Bake the Lemon Tart
1. Preheat the oven the 325˚F. Pour the lemon curd into the prepared tart shell*. Place the tart on a cookie sheet and bake until the custard sets, 10 - 15 minutes. Test by gently tapping the tart ring. If the center does not jiggle, the tart is set. If the lemon curd has been refrigerated, the tart will need a few extra minutes to set.



Sweet Tart Shell*
Recipe makes 2 (8 to 9-inch) blind baked tart shells

16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or tangerine (optional)
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the Sweet Tart Shell
1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest (if using) and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and almost white in color, about 6 - 8 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time, and continue to beat until they are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1 -2 minutes.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and add them all at once to the butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula and fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture with a few turns before turning on the mixer. Mix the dough at slow speed until thoroughly combined, 1 - 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix on slow speed for another 30 seconds.

3. Separate the dough into two mounds. Wrap each mound in plastic wrap and press down to form 2 (1-inch) disks. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

4. On a cool dry counter surface, roll one mound of dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle. Line the tart pan with the dough and freeze the tart shell for 1/2 hour. Reserve the remaining dough for another use. (The dough, well wrapped, can be frozen for up to one month.)

5. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the shell from the freezer, line it with parchment paper, aluminum foil and fill it with the pie weights or dried beans. Transfer the shell to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Take out the liner and weights and place the shell back in the oven. Bake until golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.