Lemon Curd with Yogurt

A delicious dessert that tastes decadent.

LEMON CURD
3/4 cup lemon juice (fresh works best)
2 lemons, finely grated zest
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup butter cut into cubes, room temperature

GARNISH
1 cup greek yogurt
berries

1. In a saucepan, bring lemon juice, zest and 1/2 cup of sugar to a boil.  Lower heat when it begins to boil.  
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs and remaining sugar together until creamy.  Gradually beat in lemon mixture without stopping, to keep eggs from cooking.  Return to saucepan and whisk continuously over medium heat.  Remove from the heat at the first sign of boiling.  Mix in butter until smooth. Cover and let cool before refrigerating.
3. Place a spoonful of chilled lemon curd into glasses.  Top with a scoop of yogurt and sprinkle of seasonal berries.

Mini Phyllo Tarts

These are absolutely delightful!  From Food and Drink 2000.  The tarts are simple and shouldn't be assembled until just before serving or they will soften.  Use the Lemon Cheese filling provided or fill with your favourite.

8 sheets phyllo pastry (about 1/2 box)
2 tbsp each of melted butter and vegetable oil, mixed
2 tbsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Brush one phyllo sheet generously with butter and oil mixture.  Sprinkle with several pinches of sugar.  Stacking on top of each other, repeat with three more sheets.  Cut layered phyllo into 3 inch squares.  Keeping layers intact, push phyllo squares to bottom of ungreased mini muffin cups with a bottom diameter of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches.  Curve top edges slightly outward from cups.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.
2. Remove from cups and cool on a rack.  Continue filling muffin cups and baking as needed to use up all the squares.  Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets.  Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 40 shells

LEMON CHEESE FILLING

3 to 4 large lemons

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

250g cream cheese

1. Using a zester or fine grater, grate zest of 1 lemon onto a piece of waxed paper.  Squeeze 3/4 cup lemon juice.  In a medium saucepan, whisk eggs with sugar, lemon juice and zest until combined.  Whisk over low heat until mixture is warm, and then add butter.  Continue whisking constantly until mixture thickens and colour lightens slightly, from 15 to 18 minutes.  Do not boil.  Pour into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate for a week or more.
2. To make tart filling, stir softened cream cheese until smooth and lump free.  Gradually stir in lemon curd until blended.  Spoon into tart shells and garnish with a few thin threads of lemon zest.

Makes enough filling for 20 shells

Orange White Chocolate Cake with Strawberries

If serving children I don't do the Macerated Strawberries but just slice some up and put on the top.  This is my absolute favourite strawberry shortcake!

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp grated orange rind

½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp each baking soda and salt

2/3 cup orange juice

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup whipping cream

Macerated Strawberries

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp orange liqueur

Orange-White Chocolate Curd:

1 tsp unflavoured gelatin

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp grated orange rind

1/3 cup orange juice

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 oz white chocolate, chopped

• In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Beat in orange rind and vanilla.  In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture alternately with juice, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of juice.  Spread in parchment paper-lined 8 inch square metal cake pan.  Bake in centre of 350F oven until cake tester comes clean, 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes; turn out, peel off paper and let cool.  Using serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally.
• In heat proof bowl over saucepan of hot not boiling wate4r, melt chocolate; spread over cut side of cake bottom.
• Macerated Strawberries:  In bowl, combine strawberries, sugar and liqueur; let stand for 30 minutes.
• Orange White Chocolate Curd:  Meanwhile, in small microwaveable bowl or saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1 tbsp cold water; let stand for 5 minutes.  Microwave at high for 10 seconds, or warm over low heat until dissolved, 1 minute.
• Meanwhile, in bowl over saucepan of simmering water, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, orange rind, and orange and lemon juices; cook, whisking, until mixture mounds on spoon, about 6 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in white chocolate until melted.  Whisk in gelatin mixture; refrigerate, whisking occasionally, until consistency of pudding, 15 to 20 minutes.  Spread over chocolate on cake; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Top with remaining half of cake.  Whip cream.  Top each serving with whipping cream and macerated strawberries

Mini Blueberry Lemon Layer Cakes

These are a delicious, light desert.  Make sure you use fresh blueberries, or if they are not available the best fruit you can find.  Do not use purchased lemon juice for this - you will taste the difference if you use fresh squeezed. From the Food and Drink Summer 2011 magazine

Lemon Curd
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cake
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Mint leaves

1. For the lemon curd, whisk together sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks, eggs and salt in a large, heatproof bowl.  Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water so the bottom of the bowl is about 1 inch above the surface of the water.  Cook, whisking constantly, for about 10 minutes or until curd is thick and pudding like.  Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until blended.  Immediately transfer to a cool bowl, place plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until chilled, or for up to 3 days.
2. For the cake, preheat oven to 350 F.  
3. Grease the sides of a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Beat in lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of milk.  Spread into prepared pan, smoothing top.
5. Bake for about 35 minutes or until tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Let cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes.
6. To assemble cakes, cut cake into 24 squares, then cut each square in half horizontally.  Spread cut side of bottom and cut side of top layers with about 1 tsp lemon curd. Arrange blueberries on bottom layers and replace top layers (cut side down) to sandwich.
7. Just before serving, place cakes on a platter, spread remaining curd on top of cakes and arrange remaining blueberries on top.

Makes 24 mini cakes

Strawberry Parfaits

A fantastic summer dessert I found in Food and Drink Summer 2011.  For variety change up the fruit to whatever is in season.  The Lime Curd can be purchased but is fairly easy to make and definitely worth the effort.

5 to 6 cups (1.25 to 1.5 l) fresh strawberries
1 pkg (250 g) light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (125 ml) icing sugar
1 cup (250 ml) cold whipping cream
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 to 375 ml ) lime curd
Zest of 1 lime

1. Set 4 large perfect berries aside for garnish.  Hull and slice remaining berries into bite size pieces; cover and refrigerate up to half a day.
2. Using an electric mixer; beat cheese with sugar until somewhat fluffy.  In another bowl, combine cream and vanilla; whip until stiff peaks form.  Fold 2 mixtures together; cover and refrigerate up to half a day.
3. When ready to serve, use parfait glasses or large wine glasses capable of holding 1 cup (250 ml).  (I used a martini glass).  Put sliced strawberries in bottom, top with a dollop of cream and 1 tbsp of lime curd.  Add another layer of berries and dollop of cream.  Decoratively spoon a bit of lime curd on top.  Slice reserved berries, hull intact, in half lengthwise, garnish parfait with strawberry half and a pinch of lime zest.

Makes 8 servings.

Lime Curd

This freezes well and as per the Food and Drink suggestion can be scooped like ice cream.  I have also made this with lemon, but I think any citrus would work.

1 large lime

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, softened

Juice of 4 limes, about 3/4 cup (175 ml)

1.  Finely zest 1 large lime; set aside

2.  In a medium saucepan, whisk eggs, sugar and butter.  Stir in juice and zest; mixture may be lumpy.  Whisk constantly over low heat until mixture starts to thicken and turns lighter in colour, from 15 to 18 minutes.  Do not boil.  Remove from heat and place a piece of plastic directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate until cold for up to a week or freeze.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (375 ml)