when life gives you meyer lemons ...

what the heck is a meyer lemon, anyhow? juicy, ripe, sweet, and almost orange, these citrus gifts can be found (briefly) at the local market. guess where it hails from, originally (think toys, clothes, and lead toothpaste) ... right, china.

but unlike other things from this far-flung nation, the origins of the meyer lemon are steeped in tradition, and not a burgeoning economy. named for an employee of the u.s. department of agriculture, these fragrant beauties are cultivated right here at home.

inspiring in a lemon tarte with a crispy crust, they play a role in both the flavor and visuals of this glossy dessert. don't be a sour-puss ... give it a whirl!

meyer lemon curd tarte
prepare the crust:
1. in the bowl of a food processor, combine 1.5 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and pulse; stop the blade and add 1-1/2 sticks butter (cubed into 10 pieces) - pulse again until the mixture has small bits of butter covered in the dry ingredients [do NOT make a paste]
2. add 6 tablespoons of cold ice water, and pulse again until the mixture is finer (but not a dough) - it has enough liquid if the blend can be pressed together
3. turn the bowl out on the counter, and quickly pat the ingredients together in a ball or dome form - wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes [now's the time to make the curd filling, below]
4. preheat the oven to 375º
5. remove the dough, unwrap, and use a rolling pin to flatten to 1/4 inch thickness - you should get a large circle of pastry, which you can then line a tarte pan with (fluted or straight-sided, with a removable bottom)
6. pierce the bottom of the shell with a knife so air can escape, and bake uncovered until the tarte is completely golden brown (note: turn the pan in the oven halfway around about 20 minutes into the process)

for the meyer lemon curd:
1. in a stand mixer bowl, place 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks (reserve the extra 2 egg whites at room temperature) - add 1 cup sugar and whip fervently until the mixture is creamy and pale in color
2. zest 4 meyer lemons (or 2 regular lemons) and add to the egg batter, along with the juice of all of the lemons - whip again briefly, just to incorporate
3. in a saucepan, heat 1 inch of cold water, bringing it quickly to the boil - reduce to simmer, and place the stand mixer metal bowl with the above ingredients over the saucepan - whisk constantly in this makeshift double boiler to thicken the custard [note: the hot water should NOT be touching the underside of the metal bowl]
4. when the mixture is thickened, immediately remove from the hot water below, and pour it into a mixing bowl - add 1/2 cup heavy cream and whisk to combine
5. wash out the mixing bowl and whip, making certain that it is completely dry ... add the remaining 2 egg whites and whip until frothy; slowly add 1/2 cup sugar along the side of the bowl with the stand mixer running to make a 'meringue' (add the sugar very, very slowly!) ... the egg whites will turn from translucent beige to opaque white and fairly stiff and glossy - that's when they're ready!
6. add the meringue to the lemon curd batter, and it's ready to go into the baked tarte shell

NOTE: when the tarte shell comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan (don't remove the bottom); slowly pour the custard into the center of the shell, slowly, and let it creep towards the edges - fill it all the way, but don't overflow it (there's nothing wrong with a bit of extra lemon curd in the house, but a messy tarte? there's no excuse for that!). refrigerate your delicious and shiny confection, and enjoy with a bit of raspberry coulis on the side, some candied lemon peel, or even a dollop of chocolate ganache and creme fraiche!!!

lemons never had it so good!

scone alone

i always though scones were low in fat when i starting ingesting them, sans clotted cream. then i went ahead and spoiled that delusion by starting to bake them myself. now it's easy to see why i was initially fooled. they are light, flaky, and never greasy in that muffin-from-the-gas-station sort of way. who was to know just had much butter had been worked into the batter! the most critical thing to remember when creating these buttermilk babies is go easy ...

so, enjoy with a dusting of powdered sugar, or slice them in half and slather with creme fraiche and homemade pear butter, and even a dollop of jam will do fine! this version, which is easy to make and can even be prepared the night before and 'held' in the fridge until it's time for baking, is delicious breakfast food!

take-it-easy scones:
1. preheat oven to 400º, and have a ungreased cookie sheet at the ready (if baking right after mixing)
2. combine 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl
3. cut 12 tablespoons of cold plugra butter into 1/2 inch cubes, and toss with flour mixture. using your thumb and forefinger, compress the cubes of butter, flattening them and working them with the flour mixture [note: the point is not to 'incorporate' the butter, making it disappear - rather, it is to turn the butter into little pieces which are 'coated' in the dry ingredients]
4. add 1 cup of lowfat buttermilk to this crumbly mass, and stir in until all of the ingredients come together ... it will be flaky and not 'doughy', which is perfect
5. turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface, and using your hands, form it into a 6 inch diameter circle, which is 'domed' at the center - it should almost look like an inverted bowl
6. brush the pastry with melted butter, and sprinkle liberally with sugar-in-the-raw
7. cut the dome into 6 or 8 'wedges', and transfer the pieces to a baking sheet - i like to let this rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes before baking, but if you're short on time, by all means pop them in the oven!
8. bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are 'set' and the edges are slightly golden - you can make them more well done if you like, although i prefer them with just under brown, when they are still tender
9. enjoy - and in truth, when eating a scone you're never alone!