Adapted from the book Mouneh: Preserving Foods for the Lebanese Pantry by Barbara Abdeni Massaad. See at the end my variation with honey instead of sugar. See more about this lemonade.
1 kilo (2.2 pounds) lemons, preferably organic
Granulated sugar equal to the weight of the juice extracted from the fruit (more…)
Reading the recipe I previously posted, June Taylor–the expert marmalade-maker— sent me this invaluable advice: “When you talk about boiling the citrus peel in the sugar solution I would suggest that you barely simmer it. The process of osmosis – the water coming out of the peel and the sugar solution going in needs to happen at an even pace and gently. Boiling can lead to a toughening up of the peel. Also, we air dry our peel, sometimes for a day or two or several days (depending on the weather and humidity level) before rolling them in sugar.”
The following recipe is adjusted accordingly.
Dip half of each peel into melted bitter-sweet chocolate and serve as treats. Slice thinly to add to creams, cakes and ice cream. (more…)
I make my lemon curd without butter because I like its intense lemony flavor. I even enhance it with a few tablespoons of my bitter-sweet lemon marmalade. Butter makes a smoother and creamier lemon curd, so it is up to your personal taste.
Also, I don’t pass the cream through a fine sieve as the classic French and old English tradition dictates. The occasional tiny lumps don’t bother me.
If you want to make more lemon curd, repeat the process, which only takes about 10-12 minutes. I have found that it is difficult to whisk and cook properly more than four eggs at a time. (more…)
From my neighbor Ela Alamani who halves her mother’s original recipe that calls for 16 egg whites…
This is a delicious festive treat! Use the egg yolks to make Pots de Crème!
For a 10-inch round cake (more…)
