Lemonheads

We have four, count'em f-o-u-r, lemon trees on our compound, and last month was harvest time. They became our Malawi equivalent of August zucchini. You come to visit, you leave with a jumbo of lemons. We visit you, we bring you a jumbo of lemons. No, we insist. Of course you can think of something to do with 35 pounds of ripe lemons!

I thought of lots of ways to use up lemons, but sadly, only about three are worth repeating. I had grand visions of preserving them in all kinds of ways, but the slices I tried to candy were way too bitter. The peel I saved for candying molded before I got around to it. I actually forgot about the simple lemon syrup I was so excited to try; it boiled over, leaked into the stove's electrical shorting the earth wire, and tripped the main breaker every time I turned on the burner.

However, lemon curd was a success, as was lemon cake, and some surprisingly amazing doughnuts I tried on a whim with a recipe from an old Martha Stewart someone gave me. I include recipes and instructions for all three, below.


Baby Lemon Curd
(ie, even a baby could make it.)

In a cold pot, thoroughly mix together roughly these amounts:

1 c sugar
3 eggs
2/3 c lemon juice

Put the pot on a low-med setting, and stir mixture until it thickens. You'll know it's ready when it changes colour, to a bright yellow, and it gets thick enough to coat the spoon when you dip it in. Of course, the longer and slower you cook it, the thicker it will be. The two biggest things to avoid are not mixing the eggs enough, so you get flecks of cooked egg-white, and letting it boil and/or burn on the bottom of the pan.

Once you've taken it off the burner, mix in:

6 tbs butter, cut into little cubes

I made a lot of double batches and froze the stuff; it freezes well, and makes impressive last-minute pastries when spread on puff pastry.



Hagson's Lemon Cake

Hagson, the cook at a friend's house, made this wonderful cake today. It's moist, but not spongy--makes nice cakey crumbs. The thin layer of tart/sweet lemon "creme" really nicely balances the lemon-zesty cake part. You should know before you start this, that Hagson admitted he doesn't like to use books while cooking so much as common sense. I encourage you to also use yours while following this recipe, which he stood and pulled from the air while I followed him around Kirsten's kitchen.

2 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking pwd
1/4 tsp soda

Mix these together.

Add, making a crumby mixture:

1/2 c butter or Stork margarine, cold.

Beat together and add to floury crumbs:

2 eggs
1/2 c milk
zest from 2 small lemons, or 1 big one, or basically "1/2 c lemon skins"

When all mixed together, the batter should be quite thick. This is so that your cake doesn't grow grow grow and then flatten in the oven. Bake at 350º F (or perhaps something like 210º C) for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on when your cake is done.

To make creme, mix nicely until smooth:

1 c icing sugar
1 tbs butter
1 drop lemon juice (this is where he advises common sense. You don't want your creme runny; just add the right amount.)


Lemon-Ricotta Fritters with Lemon Curd
(thanks MSL, May 2008)

Liz, this one's fried; this one's for you. For old time's sake.

4 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pound ricotta cheese, drained
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Heat oil in a medium saucepan to 350 degrees. Sift flours, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl.

Mix together eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until just combined. Add ricotta, lemon zest, and vanilla, and stir until well combined. Add flour mixture, and stir until smooth.

Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, carefully drop a few balls of dough into oil. Cook, turning 2 to 3 times, until golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes total. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain temperature of oil. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough. Place on a plate, and dust with confectioners' sugar. Transfer curd to a serving bowl, and serve with fritters.

Helpful Hint

Do not crowd the pan; cook only a few fritters at a time. They taste best when served immediately after frying.

Also, don't be worried if they look flat at first; they puff into little round balls while they fry. And I think I didn't drain the ricotta, so I ended up adding a little extra flour so the batter was less runny.

Honestly, it would be best to make these when there's a crowd. Otherwise you'll end up eating them all yourself. In one sitting. Yep, that yummy.