Lemon Pirouettes Food

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• For the crust: Add the flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 times until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, about 30 times. (The dough will not come together in one mass.) Sprinkle the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and lightly pat it down. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk continuously over medium heat, occasionally scraping down the sides and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, until simmering and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and butter until combined.
• Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the crust and bake until just set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Use the foil overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Remove the foil and slice into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

COURGETTE & LEMON PIZZETTES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and lightly oil two baking sheets. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the sliced courgettes and garlic for a few minutes until just starting to soften. Add the onion and cherry tomatoes, toss everything together, then turn off the heat. Don't worry about the vegetables being completely softened, as they will continue to cook in the oven.
• Put the kettle on to boil. Mix the tomato purée with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl. Tip the cashews into a medium heatproof bowl with the bouillon powder and pour over 100ml boiling water, then blitz with a hand blender until smooth - the mixture should be the consistency of cream.
• For the base, mix the oat milk with the bouillon powder and oil. Tip the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then stir in the grated courgettes and the oat milk mixture using a cutlery knife until you have a soft dough. Cut the dough into four pieces, then lay one piece on one of the prepared baking sheets and press into a 16cm circle using damp hands. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Spread the loosened tomato purée over the bases, then top with the vegetable mixture.
• Bake the pizzettes for 15 mins until the bases are cooked through. Drizzle over the cashew cream, then scatter with basil leaves and lemon zest to taste. Serve two straightaway and leave the other two to cool to enjoy later. Once cooled, the remaining pizzettes will keep chilled for up to a day and can be eaten cold for lunch.

LEMON PIROUETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat (or use a nonstick baking sheet). Set aside. Place the butter and lemon juice in a medium bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or until well combined. Add the powdered sugar, flour, and lemon peel and beat on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the egg white and beat just until incorporated. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon batter onto each half of the prepared baking sheet. Spread the batter with the back of a spoon into a 5-inch circle. (Don't worry if the batter looks uneven--it will even out during the baking process.) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 1 minute, then lift each with a metal spatula to loosen it and quickly roll up the cookie into a tight cylinder or cigar shape. Place the cookies, seam side down, on a cake rack to cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three to five days or frozen for a couple of weeks.From SUMMER SMOOTHIES: more than 130 cool and refreshing recipes. Copyright © 2002 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.