Lemon Custards With Lemon Verbena Recipe Epicuriouscom 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 VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring cream, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon verbena just to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cover and let steep 2 hours.
• Whisk yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Return cream mixture to boil. Strain hot cream mixture; gradually whisk into yolk mixture. Return custard to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard is thick enough to leave path on spoon when finger is drawn across and thermometer registers 180°F, 3 to 4 minutes (do not boil). Immediately transfer custard to medium bowl. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to bowl. Cover; freeze up to 3 days.

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring verbena, milk, cream, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
• Whisk together eggs and sugar until combined, then whisk in verbena mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).
• Immediately strain thourough a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool custard, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 1 hour.

LEMON & VERBENA TART WITH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, beat the butter, half the yolk, sugar and a pinch of salt together with an electric whisk, then gradually whisk in the milk. Tip in the flour and rub together with your fingertips until it just starts to come together. Squash the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hr. Can be made up to three days ahead.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use it to line a loose-bottomed 23cm tart tin, leaving the excess hanging over the sides, then prick the base all over with a fork. Return to the fridge, or better still the freezer, and leave to rest for another 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line the tart with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans, rice or dried pulses. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 mins, then remove from the oven. Discard the paper and bake for another 20 mins. Brush the cooked pastry with the remaining half of the egg yolk, then return to the oven for 5-10 mins until golden. Lift the pastry out onto a cooling rack, and trim the overhang. Once cooled, put the case on the baking tray.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the lemon verbena and cream in a pan, bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and leave to cool. Whizz the cream and leaves together using a hand blender, then pass through a fine sieve to remove any strands of verbena leaf. Whisk the cream with the rest of the filling ingredients, then pour into the pastry case. Put in the oven, making sure not to spill. Bake for 30-35 mins until just set with a slight wobble. Allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle over the zest. Serve the tart in slices with raspberries.

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 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.