Lemon Clouds With Custard Food

MARGARET ATWOOD'S BAKED LEMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Beat in egg yolks. Stir in flour in three additions alternately with buttermilk in two additions. Stir in lemon juice. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Divide batter among prepared cups. Place ramekins in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups.
• Bake until cakes are set in center and beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Remove ramekins from water bath. Serve hot or cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate.)

LEMON CUSTARDS WITH LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Add sugar; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream. Whisk yolks to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in lemon juice.
• Strain custard through sieve into 4-cup measuring cup. Divide among six 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes. Cover ramekins with foil. Place ramekins in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let custards cool in water in pan. Transfer ramekins to refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

LEMON CUP CUSTARD

Steps:

• Put the milk and the lemon zest in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Let sit for 30 minutes in order for the lemon flavour from the zest to infuse the milk.
• Whisk the eggs together with the sugar. Strain the infused milk through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup. (Reserve the strainer with the lemon zest for a bit later)Whisking the whole time add the infused milk to the beaten eggs a little at a time in order to keep the eggs from cooking. Strain the mixture through the reserved lemon zest in the strainer back into the pan. Stir in lemon oil if using.
• Place 6 large (3/4 cup size) custard cups in a large shallow roasting pan. Divide the custard mixture between cups. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water just until it comes halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
• Carefully, place in a pre-heated 160*C/325*F oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until they jiggle only in the centre when you tap the cups lightly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

SIMPLE LIGHT LEMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• Combine eggs, lemon rind and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat.
• Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent clumping, until mixture becomes well combined and light yellow.
• Add in light margarine and lemon juice, keep whisking and cooking for about 5 minutes.
• Set aside, let cool before serving.
• Mixture will thicken even more when cold.
• Enjoy on top of cakes, pies, fruit, ice cream -- or on its own!

LEMON CLOUD TART WITH RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Whisk yolks and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Combine lemon juice, butter, and 1/2 cup sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; whisk until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Gradually whisk 1/3 of hot butter mixture into eggs, then whisk mixture back into bowl with remaining butter mixture set over simmering water. Whisk constantly until custard thickens and thermometerinserted into mixture registers 180°F, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Pour lemon curd through strainer set over medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of lemon curd; chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• For crust:
• Finely grind hazelnuts in processor. Using electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, and lemon peel in medium bowl until well blended. Add yolk and beat until smooth. Beat in hazelnuts, then flour, and salt. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; press crust onto bottom and up sides of pan; trim excess dough overhang. Chill 20 minutes. Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, pressing with fork if c rust bubbles, about 25 minutes. Cool crust in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)
• For lemon crème fraîche:
• Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, crème fraîche, 3 tablespoons sugar, and lemon peel in large bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Spoon half of lemon curd and half of lemon crème fraîche into another large bowl. Using small rubber spatula, gently fold curd and lemon crème fraîche together, creating marble effect and being careful not to overmix to retain marbling. Spoon marbled mixture in dollops into cooled crust. Using tip of knife or small rubber spatula, swirl and pull mixture upwards in peaks. Repeat with remaining curd and crème fraîche mixture. Refrigerate tart at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Remove pan sides. Place tart on platter. Serve with rhubarb compote.

LEMON CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place eight 6 oz.
• ramekins in a deep baking pan.
• Put the yolks, eggs, and sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
• Stir in the lemon juice and the cream.
• Pour the mixture through a very fine mesh strainer, then ladle into the ramekins.
• Place the pan with the ramekins into the oven, then fill the pan with hot water about half-way up the sides of the ramekins.
• (It's easier to fill the pan when it's already in the oven).
• Cover the pan lightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 50 minutes.
• You can tell they are done when, if you gently shake the pan, the sides are firm but the center of each ramekin, about the size of a quarter, is still jiggly like jello (not liquid!).
• That's okay- I promise.
• That means they are perfect.
• Do not overcook, or your custard will taste like scrambled eggs.
• Remove the custards from the water bath and refrigerate overnight, but for at least 6 hours.
• As they chill, they will completely firm up.
• Before serving, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• I like to serve these with a crisp cookie, like a gingersnap.