No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Cheesecake filling
1 can of evaporated milk (375 mL), chilled in the fridge
225g/8oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp grated lemon rind (optional)
1 tbsp gelatine, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water and then allowed to cool
1 tsp vanilla essence
Biscuit base
2 cups sweet biscuits, crushed
4-6 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Method:
Base
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Pour over crushed biscuits in a bowl, and add the cinnamon to taste. Mix thoroughly, then press mixture into the bottom of a large springform cake tin.
Cheesecake topping
1. In one bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Add lemon juice, rind, gelatine-water mixture, and vanilla essence.
2. In another bowl, beat the evaporated milk until very stiff.
3. Add the whipped evaporated milk to the the cream cheese mixture and combine well.
4. Pour into cake tin over the biscuit base. Allow to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Decorate the top of your lemon cheesecake with candied lemon zest, fresh fruit, stewed or glace’d fruit…
Meyer Lemon Focaccia
Makes 2 focaccia
1
cup water
1
teaspoon active dry yeast
1
tablespoon coarse salt, divided
3
tablespoons sugar, divided (a coarse sugar, like demara, is nice for texture, but totally not critical)
1/4
cup olive oil, divided, plus additional for greasing the bowl
10
ounces (aka 2 1/4 cups) flour
1
large meyer lemon (or 2 smaller ones), washed and sliced as thinly as possible
2
teaspoons fresh rosemary needles
Combine the water and yeast in a bowl, and let sit for a minute or two to allow the yeast to soften and bloom. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and the flour. Mix with a large spoon until fully blended, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes to fully hydrate. Mix for an additional minute or two, until the dough becomes smooth. Grease another bowl or container with a bit of oil, and, using a spatula, transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
After the dough has rested, using wet or oiled hands, reach into the bowl under one end of the dough, and pull it gently to fold the dough in half. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough, then flip the whole doughball over. Let rest 10 minutes, then repeat 2-3 more times. After the last folding, cover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight, or up to two days. (These folds may seem a bit fussy, but achieve the dual purpose of incorporating some air pockets into the dough, and firming it up without using additional flour.)
About 1 1/2 - 2 hours before you’d like to bake (depending on how warm your kitchen is), take the dough out of the refrigerator, and allow to come to room temperature for ~45 minutes to take the chill off. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or brush them heavily with olive oil. Gently divide the dough into two balls (they might be a bit more like blobs then balls), and place them on the prepared sheets. Let sit 10 minutes to relax, then, with oiled or wet hands, use your fingertips to sort of pat-and-push the dough out into 9” circles from the inside out, dimpling them without totally compressing them (if they resist, you can pat them out a little, let the dough rest ~5-10 minutes, then pat them out a little more and repeat as needed—it’s important you press the dough out to out least this diameter, otherwise it will be too thick to cook properly). Let rise for ~30-45 minutes (depending upon the heat of your kitchen, and how warm/risen the dough was when you started working). While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 500.
When the dough has risen, scatter the lemon slices and rosemary needles over the top, and drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, and scatter on the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons coarse salt. (that’s 1 Tbsp/tsp per focaccia). Place the trays in the oven, then turn down the heat to 450. Bake for ~20 minutes, until the focaccia has cooked to a golden brown (it may seem a little underdone in some parts, especially around the lemons, but as long as their are no large uncolored spots you’ll be fine). Let cool slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature (ideally as soon as possible).
Crab Benedict on Lemon-Chive Biscuits
Serving crab and making biscuits isn’t part of the breakfast show every morning; it’s a special treat. But it doesn’t have to be hard. The biscuits in this recipe are buttery, flaky, and packed with lemon zest and chives, and they require no biscuit cutter:
INGREDIENTS
For the biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup cold whole milk
1/4 cup finely chopped chives (from about 2 bunches)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
For the hollandaise sauce:
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the poached eggs:
8 cups water (2 quarts)
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
6 large eggs
To assemble:
12 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
Finely chopped chives
INSTRUCTIONS
For the biscuits:
1
Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2
Whisk the measured flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl to aerate and combine. Add the butter pieces and toss to just coat them in the flour mixture.
3
Place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
4
Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, and working quickly so as not to soften the butter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in the milk, add the chives and lemon zest, and stir with a wooden spoon just until a moist, shaggy dough comes together.
5
Pat the dough into a disk and divide it into 6 equal portions (about 1/2 cup each). Pat each portion into a 2-1/2-inch-wide disk and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
6
Bake until the biscuits have risen and are golden brown on top, about 15 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool while you make the hollandaise sauce and poach the eggs.
For the hollandaise sauce:
1
Fill a large saucepan a quarter of the way full with water and bring it to a simmer over high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2
Place the egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender and blend on medium speed until the mixture lightens in color, about 30 seconds.
3
Reduce the blender speed to low, remove the small cap from the lid (the pour lid), and slowly drizzle in all of the melted butter. Turn off the blender, add the measured salt and pepper, and pulse to combine.
4
To keep the hollandaise sauce warm, place the blender pitcher directly in the reserved hot water while you poach the eggs.
For the poached eggs:
1
Bring the measured water to a simmer in a medium pot over high heat (the water should be at least 2 inches deep).
Reduce the heat to low to keep the water at a bare simmer. Stir in the vinegar.
2
Break 1 egg into a small cup or ramekin. Gently slide the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs, making sure to evenly space them in the water. Cook until the whites are just set, about 3 minutes. Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon. Place in a bowl of warm water to keep warm.
To assemble:
1
Cut each cooled biscuit in half and place the bottom halves on serving plates.
2
Place the crabmeat in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Divide the crab among the bottom biscuit halves.
3
Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the warm water. Blot any excess water from the underside of the spoon with a paper towel or kitchen towel and slide the eggs onto the crab. Top the eggs with the desired amount of hollandaise sauce (you may have some left over to serve on the side). Prop the biscuit tops against the sides of the Benedicts, sprinkle with chives, and serve immediately.
Meyer Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sugar (I used vanilla sugar but regular is fine)
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed meyer lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used vanilla salt but regular salt is fine)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Use Nilla Wafers, or Gingersnaps for the cookie portion, or you could make your own homemade cookies
Instructions:
In a mixer combine the whole milk and sugar. Whisk on medium speed until sugar dissolves.
Add lemon juice and salt and whisk again for about 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed.
Add heavy cream and lemon extract. Whisk until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Cover your bowl and place in the fridge for at least one hour. I let mine age overnight.
Remove and transfer liquid to your ice cream maker bowl. Make sure it’s frozen prior!
Place your bowl on the ice cream machine, set it all up and turn on. Let it whir for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Now line a shallow dish or container with parchment paper. Pour the ice cream into that dish. Pop in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight. If leaving for an extended period make sure you cover it.
Remove dish from freezer. Use the parchment to lift out the ice cream and set it on a board.
Use cookie cutters or scoop out by hand.
Place ice cream on one cookie, then place the second cookie on the other side. Give it a little squeeze.
Voila, ice cream sandwiches.
You eat them straight away or save them for later.
If saving for later remember to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
Serve with a big old puckery smile!
Notes
This has inactive time which I really wish Ziplist would add. You don’t cook it but there is freezing time involved. So consider it has at least 1 to 4 hours of inactive prep time in your calculations. It has to set in the fridge for at least an hour at the first stage.
This can be used with regular lemons.
Remember when storing ice cream sandwiches for later use ALWAYS wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Trust me on this one!
Lemon and Arugula Farfalle with Feta and Basil
Ingredients:
1 pound bite-size pasta, such as farfalle or penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus juice, if desired
1 heaping cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup coarsely grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
4 ounces (about 4 cups) factory-washed arugula
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Bring 2 quarts water and a tablespoon of salt to a boil in Dutch oven or soup kettle. Add pasta and, using back-of-the-box times as a guide, cook partially covered and stirring frequently at first, to prevent sticking, until just tender.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet, add garlic and chili flakes and cook on low heat until fragrant. Turn off the heat before the garlic starts to turn brown.
In a separate bowl, mix basil, lemon zest, feta and Parmesan.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and return to the pot, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Quickly stir in the arugula, followed by the olive oil mixture, and then the cheese mixture; toss to coat. Add salt to taste and a generous sprinkling of pepper, along with pasta cooking liquid if needed and a good squeeze of lemon juice to boost flavor. Serve, sprinkling with additional Parmesan.
