Passion Fruit Tart

My husband and I celebrated our thirteenth anniversary last week. Each year I try to outdo myself baking a sweet surprise for Hubby. For lucky number thirteen, I decided to make something using passion fruit since it’s his favorite. This Passion Fruit Tart is what I came up with.

Hubby loved it so much that I thought I would share the recipe with you. Also included is my tried-and-true Lemon Tart recipe as it was my starting point for creating the passion fruit version.

Passion Fruit Tart
Printable Recipe

4 large eggs
3 ¾ ounces sugar
6 ounces passion fruit puree
6 ounces heavy cream
1 partially baked 9-inch Pâte Sucrée Tart Crust
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Whisk together the eggs and 3 ½ ounces of the sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the passion fruit puree and then whisk in 2 ounces of the cream. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and skim off any foam from the surface. Slowly pour into the tart crust. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until just set. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Combine the remaining 4 ounces of cream, remaining ¼ ounce of sugar, and vanilla and whip to firm peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto the tart in a decorative manner. Cut the tart into portions and serve immediately.

Makes 1 9-inch tart, serving 8. You will need about 12 fresh passion fruits for this recipe. When buying passion fruits, look for fruit that's shrinkled—that's my word for shrunken and wrinkled—and trust me when I say there's no better way to describe a ripe passion fruit. To make passion fruit puree, halve the passion fruits, scoop out the flesh using a spoon, and strain it through a fine mesh sieve. You can also use frozen passion fruit puree. If you can get your hands on it, use Tahitian vanilla, which has a uniquely floral character. Tahitian vanilla pairs beautifully with passion fruit.

Lemon Tart: Increase the sugar in the custard from 3 ½ to 4 ounces. Mix this quantity of sugar with the grated zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons until very fragrant before blending it with the eggs. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of passion fruit puree.

Homemade Lemon Pepper

Since the Seasoned Salt seemed to turn out so well, I decided to try my hand at a homemade version of another spice pantry staple: lemon pepper. Now I know there are countless recipes for lemon pepper out there, but in my opinion most of them miss the boat. Lemons taste sour (duh) and so must lemon pepper. Yet none of the recipes floating around the web contain any sour component.

The solution seemed pretty obvious to me—why not include a bit of citric acid along with the pepper and lemon zest? I mean, it occurs naturally in lemons and limes, and it’s cheap, readily available, and something I have in my pantry anyway for making candy. So I did some research—that is to say I read the back of a jar. And you know that brand of lemon pepper with the big L on the label and the bright yellow cap? Citric acid is listed right there in the ingredient list. Obvious indeed! Citric acid not only provides the necessary tartness, but it comes as a powder, which just happens to be the perfect form for using in a spice mix.

So after a fair amount of tinkering, I came up with my own from-scratch recipe for Lemon Pepper. According to my completely impartial taste tester husband, it’s way better than the bottled kind, which he described as having a “chemically” taste. Let me know if you agree.

Lemon Pepper
Printable Recipe

Grated zest of 3 large lemons
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons citric acid
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar

Spread the lemon zest on a parchment-lined cooling rack on a baking tray and let dry at room temperature for about 24 hours.

Combine the dried lemon zest, pepper, salt, citric acid, granulated garlic, onion powder, and sugar in a spice jar. Cover and shake until well blended.

Makes a generous 1/3 cup. Use a microplane for grating the lemon zest. Each large lemon will yield approximately 1 tablespoon of dried grated zest. This blend keeps for several months tightly sealed in the pantry.

Two-Hundredth Recipe!

Thanks for being here, dear reader. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your company. You kept reading, so I kept writing…And after two-and-a-half years at it, I've come to the two-hundredth recipe here on Hungry Cravings! That's right, I said Two! Hundredth! Recipe! And still counting!

I spent a lot of time thinking of a recipe that would be worthy of number 200. I knew it had to be big. Huge. Irresistible. Better than chocolate, even. And if there's any one thing that's better than chocolate, it's lemon. Nothing makes the taste buds feel alive like lemon. And now, dear reader, for the two-hundredth recipe…Drumroll please…May I present to you Frozen Meyer Lemon Mousse!


"I'm obsessed with lemons," I mused between bites of the mousse. To which my husband replied, "Yeah, anyone who's read the first 199 recipes would know."

Frozen Meyer Lemon Mousse
Printable Recipe

1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
Grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
¾ cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream

Combine the lemon juice and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Return the lemon juice to the pan and add the sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until an instant-read thermometer registers 230˚F. When the sugar syrup is nearly ready, start whipping the egg yolks in a mixer fitted with a whip attachment. With the motor running on high, add the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream. Continue to whip on high until light and fluffy and cooled to room temperature. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Stir 1/3 of the cream into the yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining cream. Divide the mixture among 8 acetate-lined individual cake rings on a parchment-lined baking tray. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours, or until solid.

To unmold, transfer the frozen mousses to dessert plates. Slide off the cake rings and peel away the acetate.

Serves 8. This light and refreshing dessert is super puckery and not for the faint of tart. Good any time of year, but especially in the winter when citrus is in season. You will need about 6 large Meyer lemons for this recipe. If you don't have cake rings, simply make and serve the mousse in ramekins. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

All Baked Custards Are Not Created Equal

Flan, crème brûlée, pot de crème, crème caramel…Why all the different names for what seems to be the same dessert?

They're all baked custards. They all require the use of a water bath. And they're all silky smooth, creamy, and delicious. But there's more to it than that…

Flan, a popular Spanish dessert, is typically made with milk and whole eggs. It's baked in large or individual molds that have been lined with caramel. The whole eggs allow flan to be unmolded and still hold its shape. When flan is inverted onto a plate, the caramel sauces the custard.


Crème caramel is the French name for flan.

The favorite French dessert crème brûlée is substantially richer than flan. It's usually made with heavy cream and egg yolks, and it isn't firm enough to unmold. Once the custard is set, sugar is sprinkled over the top and caramelized using a culinary torch or broiler, yielding a shatteringly crisp caramel topping that's a delicious contrast to the velvety custard beneath. Crème brûlée is often baked in broad, shallow individual molds because more surface area means more caramel topping. (If you ask me, part of the pleasure of crème brûlée is tapping the crust with a spoon—I love to hear the crack of the caramel before I take the first bite.)

Pot de crème is made with heavy cream and egg yolks but may include milk or whole eggs. It's luxuriously rich and cannot be unmolded successfully, so it's served in the vessel in which it's baked, be it traditional lidded pot de crème mold, ramekin, or other oven-proof cup. I think of pot de crème as crème brûlée without the brûlée topping.

Orange Flans
Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup water
3 cups milk
Grated zest of 2 oranges
5 large eggs
Pinch kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine ¾ cup of the sugar and the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 6 to 7 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Working quickly, divide the hot caramel among 10 ramekins, swirling each ramekin so that the caramel coats the bottom and half way up the sides.

Preheat the oven to 325˚F Combine the milk and orange zest in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer. Whisk together the eggs, salt, and remaining ¾ cup of sugar in a medium bowl. Continue whisking while adding the hot milk in a thin stream. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Stir in the vanilla and skim off any foam from the surface. Divide the mixture among the ramekins and place them into a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins and bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until firm.

To unmold, run the tip of a paring knife around the inside of each ramekin and invert onto a dessert plate.

Serves 10. Good any time of year, but especially in the winter when citrus is in season. You can tell that the flans are done when they jiggle like gelatin. Flans may be baked a day or two in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Unmold just before serving.

Toast to the New Year

Happy New Year's, dear reader! I raise my glass to you. May 2011 bring you health, happiness, and delicious dishes.


Pomegranate-Grapefruit Champagne Sparklers
Printable Recipe

¼ cup pomegranate arils
6 ounces pomegranate juice, chilled
6 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, chilled
1 750-milliliter bottle sparkling wine, chilled

Divide the pomegranate arils among 6 champagne flutes. Combine the pomegranate juice and grapefruit juice in a pitcher or measuring cup with a spout and divide among the flutes. Divide the sparkling wine among the flutes and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Best in the wintertime, when pomegranates and grapefruit are plentiful. Use freshly pressed pomegranate juice or, if you can find it, Evolution Freshest Pomegranate juice. If you are squeezing juice fresh, you will need 1 to 2 large pomegranates and 1 large grapefruit for this recipe.

My First Citron and My Two-Hundredth Post!

Wow. Would you believe that I started this whole thing on a whim? Well, it’s true—it was something to keep my mind occupied in the middle of one sleepless night. And now I’m at 200 posts and over 150 recipes. Just wow. I still love every moment I spend in the kitchen and every moment I spend here with you, dear reader, so thank you for joining me on my cooking adventures.

If you’ve been following along, you probably know by now that I’m absolutely obsessed with citrus fruit. I figured that on this milestone which just happens to fall in the middle of citrus season, I would treat myself to yet another unusual citrus variety, the Etrog citron. Many times before had I pined over the pricey citron, turning the fruit over and over in my hands, inhaling its sweet perfume, but this was the first time I gave in and brought one home with me.


The Etrog citron is a rather curious football-shaped fruit, larger than a lemon but smaller than a grapefruit. It has pebbled yellow skin, ridges at the stem end, a voluptuous nipple at the blossom end, and its aroma is strong enough to fill an entire room. Sliced open, the Etrog citron reveals a small center of seedy flesh with tough membranes. Most of the fruit is white pith.


It is for the fragrant rind that the citron is so prized. Raw, the rind is almost as crisp as an apple and tastes surprisingly sweet without a trace of bitterness. Thin slices would make a refreshing addition to a salad. Most often the peel is preserved in sugar, and, lacking any better ideas, I candied mine.


The juice of the citron seems to be even sourer than that of a lemon. My Etrog gave up but a single tablespoon.

Next, I will try to get my hands on a Buddha’s Hand citron. When I do, you can be sure I’ll tell you all about that too. In the meantime, can I offer you a slice of my Pound Cake with Candied Citron?


Pound Cake with Candied Citron
Printable Recipe

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
1 pound all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 8 ounces candied (but not coated in sugar) citron peel, diced
1 pound sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ ounces powdered sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed citron juice

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Butter 2 8 ½×4 ½×3-inch loaf pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Toss in the citron peel.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 5 to 6 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs two at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the loaf pans. Bake for about an hour and 25 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and citron juice and drizzle over the cakes.

Makes 2 large loaves, each serving 6 to 8. If you have it, add a tablespoon of grated citron zest along with the candied peel. Use Meyer lemons if citron is unavailable.

Bergamot Orange Dreams

Here’s what I made with what was left of my precious Bergamot orange. Taste one of these delicious two-bite cookies, and you’ll see they’re exactly like a dream—they melt, and then they’re gone.


Bergamot Orange Dreams
Printable Recipe

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated Bergamot orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Bergamot orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar on medium until creamy. Add the orange zest and juice and mix on low until blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until the dough comes together, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Scoop the dough by the tablespoonful onto parchment-lined baking trays, roll each scoop of dough into a ball, and arrange the balls about an inch apart. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom but still pale on top. Transfer cookies to a rack and let cool for about half an hour, or until barely warm. Roll each cookie in the remaining 2/3 cup of powdered sugar to coat.

Makes 32 to 34 cookies. Use lemons or limes if Bergamot oranges are unavailable. Cookies keep for several days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. Perfect with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

A Single Bergamot Orange

Citrus is the very best thing about winter. When I see the Meyer lemons and blood oranges appear at the market, I become positively giddy with excitement. In fact, I love citrus fruits so much that when given the choice between a lemon dessert and a chocolate dessert…I have to order both. Citrus wakes up the taste buds and is my tongue’s version of bliss—zesty, tingly, puckery, refreshing bliss. I’m hopelessly addicted to it. It’s about as much excitement for the palate as any one food can offer.

You can imagine my delight when I went to my local market and found an amazing array of unusual citrus varieties, including countless types of mandarins and tangerines, kumquats, calamondins, Palestine sweet limes, Etrog citrons, Seville oranges, and Bergamot oranges. I could’ve spent our entire week’s grocery budget right then and there.


The thing that surprised me most was the Bergamot oranges. They had about half a dozen of them tucked away in the corner of the produce department. I had never seen one before, but since my favorite type of tea is Earl Grey, I’d most certainly heard of them. I’d always wanted to try one. I picked up one of the lemon-colored, bumpy-skinned fruits and put it back down again about three times because they were a whopping $7.99 per pound. But my curiosity and the intoxicating perfume of the rare orange were too much to resist. I parted with six dollars, and a single Bergamot orange was mine.

So how was it? Well, the Bergamot orange is intensely aromatic and juicy with a flavor that’s slightly bitter, bracingly sour, and floral. Just like the tea, but fresh. It’s clean, crisp, and vibrant, and much more like a lemon—a Meyer lemon, to be precise—than an orange.

After much internal deliberation, I decided what to do with my treasure of an orange…


Bergamot Orange Custard Cups
Printable Recipe

4 ounces sugar
1 tablespoon grated Bergamot orange zest
4 large eggs
4 ounces freshly squeezed Bergamot orange juice
10 ounces heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the sugar and orange zest on low until very fragrant. Add the eggs, then the orange juice, and then the cream, mixing on low for several seconds after each addition until just combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Skim off any foam from the surface. Divide among 6 ramekins and place them into a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until firm.

Serves 6. If you like tart lemon-flavored desserts, you’ll love these. Use lemons, especially Meyer lemons, if Bergamot oranges are unavailable. Avoid whipping air into the eggs as they are being incorporated into the sugar mixture. You can tell that the custards are done when they jiggle like gelatin. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream and Candied Citrus Peel, if desired.

Dreamy Grapefruit

It's citrus season, and tangerines, lemons, and grapefruits are appearing not only in the markets, but also in my dreams. Thoughts of grapefruit with zabaglione came to me as I was drifting off to sleep one night. A dreamy flavor combination indeed.

Grapefruit Gratins with Zabaglione
Printable Recipe

Suprêmes from 2 grapefruits, preferably Ruby Red
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup Marsala

Divide the suprêmes along with their juices among 4 individual gratin dishes.


Combine the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened and pale yellow. Whisk in the Marsala. Place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water and heat, whisking constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until warm and fluffy.


Divide among the gratin dishes. Brown the gratins with a culinary torch and serve immediately.

Serves 4. A cinch to prepare, these light and refreshing gratins would be the perfect finish to any brunch. Add a bit of grapefruit zest to the zabaglione along with the yolks and sugar if you want more grapefruit flavor. If you don’t have a culinary torch, you can brown the gratins under a preheated broiler. No matter how you do it, be careful to brown them only lightly as burnt eggs are unpleasant. Gratins may be assembled several hours in advance and kept uncovered in the refrigerator. Brown just before serving.

Learning What's Seasonal

The scariest part of learning to cook was memorizing what was in season when. The cookbooks said that any good cook should know, and I believed them. But fruits and vegetables came from the grocery store, and the grocery store in my neighborhood had the same stuff pretty much year round. The seasonality charts made my head spin. How hopeless.

It sounds so hilarious to me know—a silly college kid determined to learn to cook by reading recipes and “memorizing” seasonality charts. After all, study is what you’re supposed to do when you’re in college, right? Nobody ever tells you that experience, practice, and just paying attention to the rhythm of the world are really what’s important. I sometimes think about, actually chuckle about, the naïve would-be cook I once was. The appearance of Meyer lemons and pomegranates, both coming into season now, reminded me once again.


Meyer Lemon Verrines with Pomegranate
Printable Recipe

¾ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons gelatin
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
¾ cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons Limoncello
1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup pomegranate arils

Measure ¼ cup of the cream into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over 1 ¼ teaspoons of the gelatin. Combine the remaining ½ cup of cream, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Whisk in the buttermilk and chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among 3 dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Slowly sprinkle the remaining ¾ teaspoon of gelatin over the Limoncello. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Divide the pomegranate arils among the dessert cups and serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings. Read this if you’re curious about verrines. You will need about 2 large Meyer lemons for this recipe.

A New Home!

How do you like my new digs? Let me show you around…Hungry Cravings is now at hungrycravings.com! That’s minus the “blogspot”, and let me tell you, it feels super exciting—a lot like moving out of an apartment and into a first house! There’s also a new and improved About Lucy section, so that we can get to know each other a little better. And in case you’re wondering, any bookmarks and links should still work, which means you won’t get lost on your way over.

While the big move didn’t require any boxes or bubble wrap, it did involve a maddening “Another blog is already hosted at this address” error flashing in red for a whole week, an ignored “Magical Custom Domain Form” (and no, I’m not making that up), and then a “404 Not Found” error along with several panic-inducing minutes during which the blog was offline, and I was left asking, “Why does Google hate me?” But luckily, a very smart stranger came to my rescue, walking me through the convoluted steps required to make everything work. Thanks Chuck, words cannot convey my appreciation!


Needless to say, this move has been a long time coming, and I’m just thrilled! I’d like to wish you a warm welcome to my new home, so sit down and stay a while. And while you’re over, have some Blackberry-Lemon Crème Brûlée, which was inspired by blackberries I recently picked at the park.


Please make yourself at home!


Blackberry-Lemon Crème Brûlées
Printable Recipe

4 ounces sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
4 large eggs
6 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces heavy cream
6 ounces blackberries
2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the sugar and lemon zest on low until very fragrant. Add the eggs, then the lemon juice, and then the cream, mixing on low for several seconds after each addition until just combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Skim off any foam from the surface. Divide the blackberries among 6 ramekins. Divide the lemon mixture among the ramekins and place them into a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until firm.

Top 1 crème brûlée with 1 teaspoon of the Turbinado sugar and swirl to coat. Caramelize the sugar with a culinary torch. Finish the remaining crème brûlées with the remaining Turbinado sugar in the same manner. Serve immediately.


Serves 6. These custards are super puckery and not for the faint of tart—ideal for serious lemon lovers. Avoid whipping air into the eggs as they are being incorporated into the sugar mixture. You can tell that the crème brûlées are done when they jiggle like gelatin. If you don’t have a culinary torch, you can caramelize the sugar topping under a preheated broiler. These crème brûlées may be baked up to a day in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Add Turbinado sugar and caramelize just before serving.

Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake

My favorite cake is this Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake. (Well, to be completely honest, my favorite cake is whatever cake I happen to be eating at the moment, but never mind that.) This particular Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake is perfection. It’s light as a feather and fluffy as a cloud. It’s incredibly moist and incredibly tender and not too sweet. And it really tastes like the name promises—the flavors of lemon and crème fraîche shine through. It fulfills all of my cake fantasies in every way.


This perfect Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake originally came from the Pearl Bakery in Portland. I first encountered it there years ago. I remember how, as I was checking out the beautiful array of goodies behind the counter, the plain-looking cake caught my eye. It was already missing a slice so I could see the crumb. I ordered it on the spot. With no hesitation. Now, I’m not usually a decisive person when it comes to ordering in a bakery. I take my time considering the selection of pastries, I debate croissant versus Danish, and I pay no attention to the line forming behind me. But on that one day I knew exactly what I wanted—this cake was calling, no, screaming my name.


I was so smitten with the Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake that I had to ask the bakery’s pastry chef at the time for the recipe. She graciously shared it, though the directions were a bit sketchy. I’m so thankful that she did because I haven’t seen my favorite cake at the bakery in a long time. Whether they’re all sold out by the time I get there or whether they’ve completely lost their minds and discontinued it, who knows? And with the recipe, who cares?

Lemon-Crème Fraîche Cake
Printable Recipe

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
10 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large eggs, at room temperature
11 ounces sugar
¾ cup crème fraîche, at room temperature
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9×3-inch round cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the lemon zest into the flour mixture.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy and doubled in volume. Add the crème fraîche and mix on low until just combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the butter, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the lemon juice, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Transfer to the cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the edges of the cake start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely. Dust with plenty of powdered sugar, cut into portions, and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. This cake is best the day it’s made. Definitely try the recipe with Meyer lemons when they’re in season. And if you don’t have crème fraîche, you can substitute sour cream.

Verrines

Do you know the word verrine? I looked it up. It’s French for protective glass. And, for reasons that I don’t understand since I don’t speak French, it’s the word used to describe any appetizer or dessert that’s composed of various tasty components artfully layered into a glass. My first encounter with a verrine was on a trip to Paris, when I first laid eyes on Pierre Herme’s Émotion Ispahan. Ever since that moment, I’ve had nothing but verrines on the brain, I’ve been dreaming up verrine after verrine. Tahitian vanilla panna cotta, diced strawberries, and diced lavender gelée with a tuile. Caramel gelée, diced caramel-poached pears, lemon mousse, and a pear chip. Green tea gelée, apricot gelée, and crumbled French macarons. But now it’s time to stop dreaming and start making—I finally got just the perfect cups to do it!


Citrus & Caramel Verrines
Printable Recipe

¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon water
1 orange, cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 ½ teaspoons (1 envelope) gelatin
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup milk
¾ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
½ vanilla bean
Suprêmes from 1 orange
Suprêmes from 1 Meyer lemon
Suprêmes from 1 grapefruit
Suprêmes from 2 tangerines
1 tablespoon orange liqueur, optional

Preheat the oven to 250˚F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Dip the orange slices into the sugar syrup to coat and arrange them about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the slices and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, or until dry but not brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, slowly sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons of the gelatin over the orange juice. Combine ½ cup of the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and dip the bottom into an ice water bath for a second or two. Slowly stir in the remaining 1 ¼ cups of water. Return the pan to low heat and stir until smooth. Increase the heat to medium and heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide the mixture among 6 juice or dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Measure ¼ cup of the milk into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the remaining 1 ¼ teaspoons of gelatin. Combine the remaining ½ cup of milk, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cream, orange zest, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the pod and the seeds to the pan. Heat to a bare simmer. Whisk in the gelatin mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Chill over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. Divide among the dessert cups. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until set.

Toss together the suprêmes along with their juices and the orange liqueur, if desired, in a medium bowl. Divide among the dessert cups. Leave at room temperature for about an hour. Top each with 1 of the candied orange slices and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. It’s best at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving, and top with the candied orange slices at the last minute. Juice cups with an 8-ounce capacity are just right for this dessert, and you will need about 3 oranges for this recipe.

Waste Not

I love Meyer lemons so much that, whenever I cook with them, I can’t bear to waste a single precious bit. That’s why when I had tons of Meyer lemon rinds left over from making my Meyer Lemon & Blood Orange Gelée, I couldn’t just throw them away, could I? So I turned them into candy instead.


Candied Citrus Peel
Printable Recipe

2 ounces citrus peel, cut into 2×¼-inch strips
1 cup sugar, plus more for coating

Combine the citrus peel and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and drain. Repeat twice. Return the peel to the saucepan and add the sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the peel is translucent and the syrup thickens slightly. Drain the peel, reserving the syrup for another use. Using two forks, arrange the peel in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray and let cool. A few at a time, transfer to a plate of sugar and turn to coat. Shake off any excess sugar and enjoy!

Yields about 3 ½ ounces. Try this with Meyer lemons, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, and even kumquat slices. For the best results, be sure that the citrus peel is free of any flesh or membranes before candying it. Blanching it will eliminate any bitterness. Keeps for about a week in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. And the syrup that remains makes a lovely sweetener for tea.

Meyer Lemons

The Meyer lemons are coming! The Meyer lemons are coming! And if you look hard enough, you might even be able to find them now. I managed to find some, the first of the season. I went to four different markets before I found them…I just can’t help myself when a craving strikes…but I found them. The search was worth it too, these sweet and intensely aromatic lemons are a joy to cook with. Their floral fragrance is intoxicating. How I love Meyer lemons, they’re reason enough to look forward to winter.


Meyer Lemon & Blood Orange Gelée
Printable Recipe

½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest
¾ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon gelatin
Suprêmes from 3 blood oranges

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and ¾ cups of water in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the lemon juice. Measure 1/3 cup of water into a small bowl and slowly sprinkle over the gelatin. Place the bowl of gelatin over a small pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Stir into the lemon mixture. Chill the lemon mixture over an ice bath until just beginning to thicken. This will allow the bits of lemon zest to stay suspended in the mixture. Divide the suprêmes along with their juices among 6 ramekins or individual molds and then divide the lemon mixture among them. Refrigerate for about 4 hours, or until set.

Serve as is, or to unmold, dip the bottom of each ramekin or mold into hot water for a few seconds, wipe dry, and invert onto a dessert plate.

Serves 6. This is a light and refreshing dessert. It’s also super puckery and not for the faint of tart—ideal for serious lemon lovers. I like to serve it with Candied Citrus Peel and a drizzle of Blood Orange Syrup. For a gelée with a beautiful pink color and the perfect texture, add the juices from cutting the blood orange suprêmes, but reserve the juice squeezed from the membranes for another purpose. Can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. You will need about 6 large Meyer lemons for this recipe.

Suprêmes

Have you ever heard of a suprême? No, not the members of the Motown group from the 1960s. But a segment of citrus fruit minus the membranes and seeds.

Suprêmes have a fantastic texture and look like little jewels. Orange and especially blood orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon and Meyer lemon, and lime suprêmes all make beautiful garnishes for sauces, salads, and desserts. Add a few juicy suprêmes to any dish with citrus for that special touch.

To cut suprêmes, use a very sharp chef’s knife or paring knife, whichever you’re more comfortable with. Start by cutting the stem end off the citrus fruit.


Then cut off the blossom end.


Stand the fruit on one of its cut ends and cut the rind away from the flesh in narrow strips.


Rotate the fruit as you go.


And try to remove all of the white pith but as little of the flesh as possible.


Continue until the fruit is naked.*


Then, cut each segment out from between the membranes. A citrus segment is shaped like a wedge, so to remove each one from the fruit, you will need to make two knife cuts, one on either side of the segment just to the inside of the membrane, that come together like a V.


Hold the citrus fruit in one hand and cut slowly and carefully.


Continue until all of the segments have been removed.


You can cut the segments over a bowl to catch the juices. Gently pick out any seeds from the suprêmes. Finally, squeeze the membranes into the bowl to extract the remaining juice.


* This same technique can be used for peeling melons, butternut squash, pineapples, mangoes, and kiwis.

Blood Oranges

Blood orange season has arrived! Have you ever had a blood orange before? Their flesh is a deep garnet color and juicy and luscious, with hints of berries and red wine. So intoxicating.


And so different from any other type of orange, it’s hard to believe that they’re even in the same category. For me it was love at first taste. It was in California during citrus season, and I greedily bought up way more blood oranges than we could possibly eat fresh. That’s when I was inspired to create Blood Orange Syrup.

Blood Orange Syrup*
Printable Recipe

1 ½ cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice

Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until thickened and slightly syrupy.

Yields about 1/3 cup. Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you, it’s a party for your taste buds. The jewel-like color, super-concentrated flavor, and balance of sweet, sour, and bitter make it wonderful drizzled on everything from duck salad rolls to crêpes to vanilla ice cream, which is luscious in a dreamsicle sort of way. Also perfect in mixed drinks and delicious blended with maple syrup for serving over pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Though this syrup is so intensely tasty I could drink it straight up, a tiny bit goes a long way. Keeps for about a week tightly sealed in the refrigerator.


*For a related Duck Breasts with Blood Orange Sauce recipe and everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores in the fall of 2010.