Lemon Caramel Food

LEMON-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and syrup is clear. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, occasionally washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Let syrup boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until dark amber.
• Remove from heat; whisk in lemon juice, liqueur (if desired), butter, and 2 tablespoons water. (Caramel will steam and spatter.) Serve warm.

LEMON-SCENTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the walls of the pan, trying not to splash any sugar onto the walls. Do not stir; gently draw your finger twice through the center of the sugar, making a cross, to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring until medium caramel in color, swirling the pan occasionally to even out the color, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another saucepan bring the cream and lemon peel to a boil and set aside to infuse the flavor.
• When the caramel is the desired color immediately turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to slowly and carefully stir in the cream (it will bubble up and may splatter). Pass through a fine strainer and serve warm.

LEMON CRèME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Have ready a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate. In a dry 5-quart heavy kettle cook 1 cup sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling kettle, until deep golden. Immediately pour caramel into pie plate, tilting pie plate to coat bottom and side evenly, and put pie plate in a baking pan.
• With a vegetable peeler remove zest from 1 lemon and in a food processor pulse with remaining 1/3 cup sugar until finely chopped. Squeeze enough juice from lemons to measure 1/4 cup. In a saucepan bring cream and lemon sugar just to a boil, stirring. In a bowl whisk together eggs, yolks, vanilla, and a pinch salt until combined well and add cream mixture and lemon juice in a stream, whisking. Pour custard through a sieve into pie plate.
• Add enough hot water to baking pan to reach halfway up side of pie plate and bake crème caramel in middle of oven about 40 minutes, or until outer 3 inches are set but center still trembles slightly. (Custard will continue to set as it cools.) Remove pie plate from pan and cool crème caramel completely on a rack. Chill crème caramel, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Run a thin knife around edge of crème caramel and gently rotate pie plate back and forth to make sure crème caramel is loosened. Invert a flat serving plate with a slight lip over pie plate and invert crème caramel onto serving plate.

SAFFRON POUND CAKE WITH LEMON CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Serving Suggestion: Cinnamon ice cream
• Make the Pound Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice and saffron to a boil then turn the heat off immediately and let steep 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the saffron spiked orange juice, trying to use all the threads in the orange juice. Mix just until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake until raised in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are OK), 65 to 75 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the remaining saffron spiked orange juice (about 1/3 cup), until the sugar is dissolved.
• When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake out onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper. Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in.
• Repeat until all the glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature or, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.
• The cake will last up to a week, well-wrapped with plastic wrap.
• Make the Lemon Caramel Sauce: Pour the sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the walls of the pan, trying not to splash any sugar onto the walls. Do not stir; gently draw your finger twice through the center of the sugar, making a cross, to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring until amber-colored caramel, about 10 to 15 minutes, swirling the mixture occasionally to even out the color.
• Add the lemon juice and vanilla and wait for the caramel to bubble and subside. Let the caramel cool.
• To serve, cut the pound cake in thin slices and serve with scoops of cinnamon ice cream and a drizzling of lemon caramel sauce.

LEMON CARAMEL CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cream of tartar, and 1/4 cup water, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup, covered, for 1 minute. Remove the lid and boil the syrup, undisturbed, until it begins to turn golden. Continue to boil the syrup, swirling it and tilting the pan occasionally, until it is a deep golden caramel. Pour the caramel into a loaf pan, 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 3 inches, tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides with the caramel, and let the caramel cool.
• In a large saucepan scald the milk with the cream over moderate heat. In a large heatproof bowl whisk together the whole eggs, the egg yolks, and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light and frothy. Add the scalded milk mixture in a slow stream, stirring constantly, and stir in the lemon juice, the zest, and the vanilla. Set the loaf pan in a larger and deeper baking pan and strain the custard mixture into the loaf pan. Cover the loaf pan with heavy-duty foil and add enough hot water to the larger pan to reach two thirds of the way up the sides of the loaf pan.
• Bake the custard in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, remove the loaf pan from the baking pan carefully, and remove the foil. (The custard will not appear set in the middle but it will continue to cook as it cools.) Let the custard cool and chill it, overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge of the custard, invert a serving platter over the custard, and invert the custard onto it.

THE BEST LEMON TART EVER

Steps:

• Combine butter, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer; mix ingredients thoroughly with a paddle attachment. Mix flour into butter mixture to make a smooth dough. Press dough into a 9-inch tart pan; refrigerate crust for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake crust until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Whisk sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl until smooth. Pour lemon filling into crust. Cover edges of crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake tart until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar.

LEMON CAKE WITH CRACKLY CARAMEL GLAZE

Steps:

• MAKE THE CAKE:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F
• Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the 6 egg yolks with the water, olive oil, vanilla, lemon zest and the remaining 1 cup of sugar.
• Add the dry ingredients and beat until the batter is smooth.
• Using a spatula, fold in the beaten egg whites until no streaks remain.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
• Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until springy to the touch.
• Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350°.
• MAKE THE LIMONCELLO SYRUP:
• In a small saucepan, simmer the water and sugar over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Let cool, then stir in the limoncello.
• Brush the syrup all over the cake, allowing it to soak inches
• MAKE THE CARAMEL TOPPING:
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a heavy saucepan, stir the sugar with the cream of tartar and water until sandy.
• Wash down the side of the pan with a moistened pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat and cook without stirring until a deep honey-colored caramel forms, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Carefully swirl the pan to cool the caramel slightly, then pour it onto the baking sheet in a rough round.
• Using an offset spatula, spread the caramel into a 13-inch round and let stand until slightly cooled but still pliable, about 5 minutes.
• Invert the caramel round over the cake and peel off the parchment paper.
• Gently press the caramel onto the cake before it hardens to help it conform.
• If the caramel hardens as you work, place the caramel-coated cake in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just to soften the caramel.
• When the caramel has hardened, serve with Lime-Yogurt Mousse (recipe to follow).

LEMON AND ROSEMARY CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter, whipping cream and salt to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in rosemary and lemon peel; set aside.
• In 3-quart saucepan, mix sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. DO NOT STIR. Boil until sugar turns a light golden amber color and candy thermometer reads 310°F.
• Add cream mixture. Beat with whisk until thermometer reads 248°F. Pour into pan; cool 10 minutes. If desired, garnish with additional rosemary and lemon peel.
• Cool completely; cut into squares.

LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Sift cornstarch and sugar to keep it from lumping and then combine with salt and boiling water.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling and clear, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Keep warm till ready to serve.

LEMON CARAMEL POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Have ready 6 1/2-cup ramekins or pots-de-crème cups and a baking pan large enough to hold them.
• In a saucepan, bring the cream, zest and coriander seeds just to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat the sugar and a 1/4 cup water over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil, without stirring, until the mixture becomes deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush and swirling the pan. Carefully whisk in the cream combination. (The mixture will sputter, so be careful.) Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until the caramel dissolves. Remove pan from heat.
• Gently whisk together yolks, lemon juice and salt. Very slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve or layers of cheesecloth. Let stand about 3 minutes, then spoon off any foam.
• Divide custard among the ramekins, cover with foil (or put lids on the cups) and place them in the baking pan. Add enough hot tap water to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set around edges but trembling in the centers, 40 to 45 minutes for ramekins, 30 to 35 minutes for the cups.
• Remove from the oven and remove ramekins from pan. Let cool and refrigerate, loosely covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24. Serve without unmolding.