DESSERTS AND CAKES WITH LEMONS

                                                      LEMON TART

A delicious aromatic summer dessert.

Crust:

250 g (½ lb) butter, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

2 cups plain flour

Pinch of salt

Filling:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

50 g self-raising flour mixed with

1 tsp baking powder

160 ml of lemon juice

The zest of 1 lemon

For the crust blend all the ingredients until just combined.  Wrap with cling film and refrigerate for30 minutes.   Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) . Roll out the dough thinly and line a 30 cm buttered tart dish and prick the pastry all over with a fork and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, whip the eggs with the sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy and doubled in bulk. Then gently fold in the baking powder mixture and the lemon juice. Take the filling to the oven and pour over the pastry and bake for 25 minutes.  Cool and serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

     

                           RENEE'S LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

My beloved Mother used to often prepare this fabulous cake, which has a lovely texture and aroma.   You can either ice it or cut it in half and fill it with lemon cream.

 

 Cake:

150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour

120 g (4 oz) butter softened

120 g (4 oz) sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1¼ tsp lemon juice

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Lemon Icing:

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

Grated rind of a small lemon

Enough icing sugar to make a smooth runny icing (about a 1¾ cup)

120 g (4 oz) icing sugar

Lemon Cream Filling:

395 g (13 oz plus) 1 tin sweet condensed milk

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

1½ tbsp grated lemon rind

Mix all the ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes.   Pour in a prepared tin and bake in a moderately hot oven, preheated to190 C (275 F) degrees for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is cooling, mix all the ingredients for the icing together until a smooth, runny icing is obtained.   Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer and pour the icing over.  Leave the cake in the tin until completely cold.

Alternately, cut the cake in half.  Spread one half of the cake with lemon cream filling, sandwich it with the second half and refrigerate. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

(Prepare the filling by mixing all the ingredients, very well together, until thick and creamy).

                            TARTLETS FILLED WITH LEMON CURD

Do prepare these delightful small tartlets/

Pastry:
260 g (13 oz) 2 cups self-raising flour
2 cups butter cut into tiny pieces
3 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 tsp  vanilla
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 egg yolk
1 1.2 tbsp fine semolina
A little orange fix


Mix all the ingredients together until a soft pliable dough occurs, Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least. Roll out the dough thinly, between two pieces of baking parchment and cut rounds of pastry with a biscuit cutter and line buttered mini tartlet dishes.  Pierce them all over with a fork and bake in an oven preheated to180 C (350 F) for  13-15 minutes.




                                                 LEMON CURD 

A delightful preserve of the English cuisine.

4 lemons, the juice
2 lemons, the finely grated lemon rind
300 g (10 oz) icing sugar
8 eggs
250 g (1/2 lb) soft butter

Beat all the ingredients together until just mixed.  Cook au bain Marie, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.  Strain, cool and store in the fridge in sterilized jars.

Fill the tartlets with lemon curd and serve with a cup of tea.

Lemon Tree