Carrie Fehr

Kitchen Garden Food

Tag: Meyer Lemon

February 20, 2024

Meyer Lemon Torte

This simple torte has the bright floral notes of Meyer lemon zest, enriched with almond flour that gives it a dense richness.  Meyer lemons are a hybrid of lemon and mandarin and are less acidic than regular lemons. Living in Berkeley, California, we are blessed to find Meyer lemons in abundance during the citrus season at local produce markets and on trees that grow in almost every neighborhood. Perfect for any occasion, this lemony dessert is delicious when enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea. Recipe adapted from Sheela Prakash at TheKitchen.com.

Meyer Lemon Torte

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing the pan

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, or any other type of lemon available

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh berries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Coat the paper and sides of the pan with butter; set aside.

Crack and separate 4 large eggs, placing the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and the yolks in a separate large bowl.

Combine lemon zest and sugar in a separate small bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar using your hands to release the flavor and aroma. Add zested sugar to the egg yolks and stir using a large spoon until well-combined.

Add almond flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into the egg yolk mixture. Stir until the almond flour is combined .

Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Gently fold the remaining egg whites with a spatula into the batter until just combined. Do not over mix. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake until the edges of the cake have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, the top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

To serve, run a knife around the cake to loosen it. Flip the cake onto a plate, peel away the parchment. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.

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September 3, 2022

Lemon Tea Cake

This simple tea cake has the bright tangy zip of fresh lemons enriched with a hint of vanilla. The addition of yogurt and olive oil makes the texture of this lemon cake incredibly moist. For an extra deep zesty citrus flavor, brush it with the lemon glaze while it’s still warm from the oven. 

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoon lemon zest (about 3 medium sized lemons) I use Meyer lemons

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 

2 large eggs

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup olive oil

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.

Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest and vanilla bean seeds in a large bowl until combined. Add eggs and whisk until pale yellow and frothy. Whisk in the yogurt and olive oil. 

Stir in dry ingredients and mix together until incorporated. (A few small lumps in the batter are fine.)

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until top of cake is golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and then let cool completely.

Lemon Glaze

In a saucepan bring the powdered sugar and lemon juice to a simmer.  Remove from heat and drizzle the lemon glaze over the warm tea cake.

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April 11, 2020

Lemon Olive Oil Madeleines

IMG_1511

When Marcel Proust dipped his madeleine into his cup of tea, a powerful memory from his childhood emerged that led him to write the classic novel, “Remembrance of Things Past.” Imagine such a table from nostalgic past, set for afternoon tea, bursting with memories, sparked by the delicate flavor of this simple yet elegant, shell-shaped cake.

This recipe was originally published in 2013, which I have updated and revised using Swerve sweetener as a replacement for sugar. Swerve sweetener is a natural sugar replacement that has zero net carbs and is keto-friendly.

Lemon Olive Oil Madeleines

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2/3 cup Swerve sweetener or sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Zest of lemon

Glaze:

4 tablespoons Swerve confectioners or powdered sugar

½ lemon, juiced

Directions:

In a bowl of an electric mixer, whip eggs, Swerve sweetner, and salt until thicken, about 5 minutes.

Sift in the flour and baking powder.  Using  a  spatula gently fold in  the flour until  incorporated.

Add the olive oil and continue to stir. It may take a minute for the olive oil to blend into the mixture but do not over mix.

Stir in the  lemon juice and zest.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Batter may be chilled for up to 12 hours.)

Lightly coat the madeleine mold with cooking oil.  Preheat oven to 350°

Make the glaze in a small bowl by stirring together the Swerve confectioners and lemon juice.  Mix until smooth and creamy.

Scoop batter into madeleine mold, filling 2/3 full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes and unmold on a cooling rack.  While still warm, dip both sides of each cake in the glaze.  Cool and serve with tea.

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July 20, 2015

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Preserved Lemon 1

Preserved lemons add a bright fragrant flavor to a variety of dishes that are common in Moroccan or North African cuisine. With just two ingredients, they take no time to prepare, store almost indefinitely, and are economical, especially if blessed with a neighborhood lemon tree.

There are endless ways to enjoy preserved lemons. They can be chopped and added to vinaigrettes, salads, or salsas, or pureed in aioli, as a spread for sandwiches. I like to pair diced preserved lemons with a little goat cheese or fresh ricotta, and slather it on crostini, topped with toasted pistachios.

Homemade preserved lemons also make great gifts for friends, not to mention look stunning on the kitchen counter.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Ingredients:

3-4 Organic Meyer lemons, cleaned with both ends trimmed

¼ cup Kosher salt

Pint-sized Mason jar

Directions:

Put a teaspoon of salt in the bottom of pint-sized mason jar.

Quarter lemons leaving ends attached.

Sprinkle salt on the inside of the quartered lemon.

Place the lemon into the Mason jar, open end down. Press down to release its juices.

Sprinkle salt over the top of the lemon.

Repeat the process until the Mason jar is filled with lemons.

If necessary, squeeze more lemon juice over the lemons to cover. Close the Mason jar.

Leave for several days. Open up the Mason jar and press lemons down. Close it and leave in a cool place for 30 days.  Before using, remove the pulp and rinse under cold water to remove the salt. Store in the refrigerator.

 

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December 2, 2012

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

Meyer Lemon Pudding CakeNeed a refreshing lemony dessert?  With just a few simple ingredients like lemon, butter, and eggs, you can turn out a gorgeous soufflé-like cake with a delightful layer of creamy custard that is sweet, tangy, and floral.  Top it with a spoonful of Chantilly cream and a sprinkling of poppy seeds, or fresh berries.

 Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

There are  Meyer lemon trees throughout my hometown of Berkeley, thanks to an early 1900′s agricultural explorer, Frank Meyer, who introduced this plant into the United States from Asia, and to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse restaurant,  for boosting its popularity.  This lemony dessert highlights the sweet taste of Meyer lemons with the best of both comforts, part pudding and part cake.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

¼ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup Meyer lemon juice, 2 or 3 lemons

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 cup milk (I use 1%)

3 eggs, separated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-size bowl.  Stir in lemon juice, zest, melted butter, and milk.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Add yolks to the lemon mixture.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Gently fold into lemon mixture.

Pour into buttered soufflé dish, place into pan filled with hot water about 1 inch deep.

Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool.  Turn the soufflé dish over and unmold on to a plate.  Top with Chantilly cream, a sprinkling of poppy seeds, or fresh berries.

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