The Search Is Over...Lemon Meringue Pie

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If you think it is easy to bake a perfect lemon meringue pie think again.  This is one of the toughest pies to get right, for you have to get not just the filling but the meringue and the crust perfect as well.  Bad lemon meringue pies are a dime a dozen.  Either the crust is soggy or non existent, the filling is too soft or too hard and the meringue is just not right.  The proportion of filling to meringue is incredibly important, as well as their proportion to the crust.  It's quite a challenge.  I have been trying since the 70's and it wasn't until this weekend that I found the perfect recipe.  At least for the filling and the meringue.  I must admit I cheated on the crust and bought one ready made.  Next time I am definitely trying the crust that goes with this pie.

When we moved to Connecticut in the 60's one of our neighbors dropped off a packed lunch that included a lemon meringue pie.  I was hooked...hook, line and sinker!  In those days, neighbors still dropped by to introduce themselves and always welcomed you with a picnic lunch or something hot for dinner on moving day. Don't you wish those days were back?  Now you are lucky if you meet them by Christmas!

Throughout the years, I tried recipes from the Joy of Cooking and Craig Claiborne, but they were never perfect.  The problem was always the filling, too runny.  Finally I gave up.  Just recently, I picked up a copy of Lee Bailey's Country Desserts and spotted this recipe (I never really gave up looking).  Oh why not, I thought I'd give it a go.  But I certainly wasn't going to waste time making a pie crust if the filling and meringue weren't right so I went ahead with a pre baked pie shell.

Well, the search is over.  The filling is just perfect, lemony but not too tart and the meringue, oh the meringue...is sublime!  I don't know if it's adding the salt or what, but it is just d i v i n e !!! I did add and extra 1/4 cup of sugar to the egg whites, making it 3/4 instead of 1/2.  That was the only thing I changed and I'm glad I did.

This pie is so versatile it goes with everything from a cookout to a simple Sunday supper such as roast chicken.   It is particularly refreshing after a hot and spicy meal.  It must be the lemon. I served it last weekend for Poker Night after General Tso's Chicken and it was a perfect combination.  I know it sounds strange, but it works.  Goes to show you...

Serves 8

Ingredients

Pastry

1 1/3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c unsalted butter, chilled, cut in thin slices
1/4 c lard or solid vegetable shortening
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 TB ice water

Filling and meringue

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 C plus 1 TB cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature plus
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 C cold water
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
5 TB unsalted butter, cut in 5 equal pieces

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Cut in the butter, lard and zest until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Sprinkle the ice water and toss with a fork to blend.  Gather the dough into a ball.  If excess flour remains, add a few drops more ice water.  Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic.  Chill for 1 hour.

T assemble pie preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Roll out pastry into a 12 inch circle.  Fit into a 9 inch pie pan and fold edge under..

Line the pastry shell with a sheet of foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights.  Set pie pan on baking sheet and bake 10 mins. until edge is set.  Remove weights and foil and bake another 5 mins. until bottom firm and light golden,  Cool on a rack.

In heavy saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt the 4 egg yolks and the lemon juice.  Add 2 cups cold water and whisk until blended.  Cook over moderate heat, whisking until it comes to a boil.  Boil, stirring, 1 minute then remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and butter.Stir until the butter is completely melted.

Pour into pie shell, cover with a round of wax paper pressed directly on the surface and cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl combine the 5 egg whites and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt.  Beat until soft peaks form then gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar (I added 3/4 cup) and beat until stiff peaks form.

Remove wax paper from top of filling and pile on the meringue.  Spread to slightly overlap and seal the fluted edges of the crust.  (This seal is important if not meringue will shrink inward over filling).

Bake in center of oven until top is pale golden, about 10 minutes.  Cool to room temperature on a rack then refrigerate until just chilled and set, about 2 hours.  Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

Classic Caesar Dressing

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When we got married, the only thing my husband could make was a killer Caesar salad.  This was his recipe. (The only thing that I could make was a cheese omelette and you don't want that recipe)

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup rustic bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, halved

2 eggs

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 to 3 tablespoons minced anchovies, or to taste

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1 large head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into pieces

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan.


Directions

1. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet large enough to hold the bread in a single layer and turn heat to medium. When oil shimmers, add bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper; brown lightly on all sides, adding a little more oil if necessary. Remove and set aside.

2. Rub the inside of a salad bowl with the garlic clove; discard it. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Pierce a tiny hole in the broad end of each egg with a pin or needle and boil them for 60 to 90 seconds; they will just begin to firm up. Crack them into the salad bowl, being sure to scoop out the white that clings to the shell.

3. Beat eggs with a fork. Gradually add lemon juice and 6 tablespoons oil, beating all the while. Stir in anchovies and Worcestershire. Taste and add salt if needed, and lots of pepper. Toss well with lettuce; top with Parmesan and croutons; toss again at table. Serve immediately.



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Baked Shrimp Scampi With Basil Lemon Butter

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If I told you what I had for dinner tonight you wouldn't believe me. Now, you know I pride myself in the balance of my menus, but tonight, I threw all that out the window.  I had a Chinese appetizer, an Italian main dish and a Spanish, no, let me rephrase,  Catalan dessert... and it worked!

Like a good time, it wasn't planned, it just happened.  I had made the Minced Chicken in Lettuce Wraps the night before and I had doubled the recipe, so there was plenty for an appetizer tonight.  I wanted to have shrimp, but I didn't want to complicate my life, so I decided to improvise with whatever was handy in the refrigerator and the pantry.  This afternoon, I was wrapping up a new post for Crema Catalana and I could barely finish before I was down in the kitchen pulling out pots and pans to make some for dinner.  And...that's how the meal developed.

Oh yes, as to the shrimp, it is a variation of the one I make when I have dinner parties.  It is so simple you can add it to your list of main dishes for a midweek dinner party. The basil paste is found in the produce section of most supermarkets.  It's very handy to have on hand, particularly in the winter.  You can always just crush a few basil leaves as a substitute. 

Make sure you serve it with yellow rice, as in saffron yellow rice.  In a pinch, the menu I just described, though odd, works, although you will have a lot of explaining to do to your guests!

Ingredients

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell

3 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons dry white wine

basil paste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 extra-large egg yolk

2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, garlic, basil paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter, parsley, crumb and garlic mixture.

In the microwave, use a small bowl to melt the butter with 2 garlic cloves minced,  parsley, basil,  lemon zest, lemon juice,  panko, salt, and pepper until combined.

In a  14-inch oval or rectangular gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the lemon basil butter mix over the shrimp making sure you spread the butter mixture evenly . Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Place under a broiler for 1 minute (watch!). Serve with lemon wedges.

This post was originally written in March 2010

Tell Me You Love Me With Magnolia's Red Velvet Cupcakes

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I must admit that what first drew me to this recipe was the frosting.  Most of the recipes I've seen use a cream cheese frosting and that to me is heresy.  Also. when I first read that  buttermilk and  vinegar were in the mix, I new I was on the right track.  Red Velvet Cake is as Southern as it gets and buttermilk and vinegar in the batter...bingo!

If you haven't heard of Magnolia Bakery in New York City let me clue you in...The Hermes/Manolo Blanick of cupcakes, with prices to match!

I understand that their Red Velvet Cake is one of the most popular at the bakery. Half of the customers love it because they haven't eaten it since their grandmother made it.  The folks at Epicurious have already made the adjustments needed for cupcakes at the bottom, so I have chosen to post the original recipe, which is for the cake, as is.  Who knows, we may want to make a cake one of these days and now we have both.

Well, that does it, Coconut Cupcakes and Red Velvet Cupcakes, what more can I ask for Mother's Day?!

By the way, if you want last year's Mother's Day Brunch menu, you will find it here!


Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons red food coloring

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 recipe Creamy Vanilla Frosting


Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting .

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This recipe also makes 2 dozen cupcakes. Use 2 muffin pans, each with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups, and line each cup with a paper liner. (There's no need to grease the cups.) Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing. To ice, mound about 1/4 cup of frosting on top of each cupcake and use an icing spatula to make a swirl on top. If desired, decorate with colored sprinkles.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer—set a timer!). Use immediately.

Photo Flickr jamieanne

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Forever Amber: Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados

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When it comes to brandies, nothing competes with France's amber trio,  Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados, each a pure product of its own terroir. Cognac comes from a sector of chalky soil near the town it's named for, in the Charentes region north of Bordeaux. The area's white wines were little more than swill for British seamen until double-distillation was tried in the 17th century. Now double-distilled in gleaming onion dome-shaped vats, cognac is aged in barrels of Limousin or Tronçais oak.

My favorite!

Armagnac's territory lies south of the Garonne river in the Midi-Pyrénées region once known as Gascony, of Musketeer fame. Made with white wine from three areas—in ascending order of excellence, Haut-Armagnac, Ténarèze and Bas Armagnac—it's produced in complicated stills known as alambics using a distinct, continuous-distillation process, and aged in oak.. Racy armagnac is dry and velvety smooth, with a generous aroma and a long-lasting aftertaste.  For a wonderful article on Armagnac check out France Today's article by Chris Redman.

Armagnac aging in "Paradis" at the Château de Laubade

Apple orchards replace vineyards in Normandy, where Calvados, familiarly called calva, was named after one of the departments in which it's made—double-distilled from apple mash fermented with yeast. First recorded in the 16th century, calva is the basis of the true Normand, the pause during a hearty meal for a nip to aid digestion and revive the appetite.

Adapted from the December 2007 issue of France Today

Lindaraxa's Tidbits...The Best Glasses

Remember those brandy snifters? Throw them out! No longer acceptable if you are a serious Cognac, Armagnac or Calvados drinker!

Believe it or not, the traditional snifter is not the ideal choice of stemware for the enjoyment of fine French brandy. The best glass for this purpose has a rounded belly with a tapered chimney. If you don't have glasses like this, use a tulip-shaped champagne glass, not a snifter. It may feel strange at first to drink your Armagnac from a champagne flute, but you'll be rewarded with a better drinking experience

Here's what you need to get! This glass is from Riedel.

Oh, I know, nobody is going to throw away those snifters and buy new ones. But if you are in the market for new cognac glasses, make sure you get the right ones.  At the risk of getting killed, I am seriously considering getting a couple of these, at least for my own enjoyment.

Cheesecake Brownies...An Old Favorite Returns!

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Mmm...brownies, let me count the ways! This recipe by David Leibowitz brings back memories of the 80's when these brownies with cream cheese were all the rage.  I haven't made them since and now I wonder why!  The combination of the softened cream cheese with the deep chocolate of these brownies is enough to send you into absolute rapture.  I have added a little coffee to the chocolate to further bring out the taste ( I learned this from Julia Child many years ago) but you may skip this step if you want.  They will still taste divine!


One 9-inch (23cm) square pan


Ingredients

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
1 TB instant espresso powder (optional)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70g) flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips


8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, expresso and then the eggs.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set.

Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.

Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well, too


Recipe Photos courtesy David Leibowitz

Bay Scallop Gratin With Lemon Balm And Thai Basil

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This was going to be a Barefoot Contessa recipe but by the time I finished improvising and substituting it had nothing resembling the original.  To begin with, the Thai Basil and Lemon Balm are thriving in my garden and so is the parsley.  I couldn't wait to try them on something soon and this just happened to be the perfect candidate.  Do yourself a favor and go out to the nursery and get some.  They are both wonderful in fish and pasta recipes and if you have some, even a small pot in the window sill, you will find yourself improvising like I did tonight.   Had they not been there I would have never discovered this wonderful dish.  Serve with white rice and fresh asparagus.

4 gratin dishes

Ingredients

2 pound fresh bay scallops

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 tablespoons good olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot finely minced

 3 TB minced Lemon Balm

3 TB minced Thai Basil

4 TB minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup panko

6 tablespoons dry white wine

2 pound fresh bay scallops

Lemon, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place 4 gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

Pat the scallops dry and place in gratin dishes.  Place the butter in the microwave and melt.  Add the olive oil and the minced garlic and shallots, chopped parsley, thai basil and parsley and mix until well combine.  Add salt and pepper.  Pour half the mixture over the scallops and mix well.  Make sure all the garlic and shallots are added now. Add half the lemon juice.   Fold the panko in the other half of the butter mixture and set aside.

Bake for 6-7 minutes.  Add 1 TB of the wine to each gratin dish and place under the broiler for another couple of minutes.  Add the panko butter mix on top of the scallops and place back in broiler until the topping is golden and sizzling.  Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.  Wait about 5 minutes before you serve to let everything settle.

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